The Finnish intelligence service warns that Russia might use hostage diplomacy to exert pressure on Finland. A large prisoner exchange between the West and Russia at the beginning of August may set a precedent that encourages Russia to continue using hostage-taking as a form of blackmail, posing a threat to Finland as well.
Petteri Lalu, a representative of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (SUPO), expressed his concerns in a statement to the STT agency: “Russia is an authoritarian state that uses hostage diplomacy to free individuals who are important to it. We have a recent example from the beginning of August. This is a real phenomenon, and the threat also applies to Finns in Russia.”
- On August 1, Russia and several Western countries carried out a prisoner exchange: the Kremlin released 16 political prisoners, including seven Russian citizens, in exchange for 10 individuals described as “its own”—including a hired killer, Vadim Krasikov, as well as fraudsters, spies, and two children of a spy couple.
Petteri Lalu warned that Finns currently in Russia or planning to travel there could become hostages that Moscow might use for leverage.
One detainee in Finland who might be of interest to the Russians in the context of a potential exchange is Voislav Torden, a member of the neo-Nazi group “Rusich,” who was arrested at Helsinki Airport in July 2023. Torden is under investigation by Finland’s Central Criminal Police on suspicion of war crimes committed in Ukraine in 2014-2015.
Lalu emphasized: “If Torden is as important to the Russian leadership as the individuals who were returned to Russia as part of the August exchange, it is quite likely that Russia could attempt to use hostage diplomacy against Finland as well.”
The Kremlin benefits from using “hostage diplomacy” as a tool of pressure against European countries. Therefore, European nations need to be prepared for potential threats and develop effective mechanisms for protection, especially amid the ongoing escalation in relations with Russia. Due to its immediate proximity to Russia, Finland is becoming one of the key points of contention between the West and Russia.
It is also important to note that Finland continues to respond to the growing Russian threat and consistently takes measures to protect its citizens. For instance, the Finnish Border Guard is introducing new control measures along the border with Russia. Allowing the border guards to conduct radio-technical surveillance will enable them to monitor the movement of mobile phones and other devices on both sides of the border. The Finnish media outlet Yle reported: “The need for stricter border control arose due to provocations by Russia involving migrants from Arab and African countries, who, at the end of 2023 and the beginning of this year, literally ‘stormed’ Finnish checkpoints.”
Moreover, Finland has decided to deploy a NATO armored brigade of 4-5 thousand troops near the border with Russia to deter the Kremlin. According to the Finnish publication Iltalehti, this brigade is already being formed and will be stationed in the city of Mikkeli, near the Russian border. “The Finnish Defense Forces and the country’s leadership have concluded that Finland needs the presence of NATO soldiers on its territory to strengthen preventive deterrence,” the publication stated.
