Finland to host Nordic rescue exercise in Oulu in September

Finland will host Rescue Borealis 2025, a Nordic exercise focusing on the Euro-Arctic cross-border cooperation involving rescue services in Finland, Sweden and Norway, said the Ministry of the Interior in a press release on Monday.

Rescue Borealis 2025 includes a field training exercise that will take place near Oulu between 29 September and 3 October 2025.

The exercise will focus on responding to CBRN threat scenarios. CBRN refers to incidents or strikes involving chemical (C), biological (B), radiological (R) or nuclear (N) elements.

Two strategic stockpiles maintained by the European Union are located in Finland: rescEU CBRN and rescEU Medical.

Rescue Borealis 2025 will therefore focus on responding to CBRN threats that require a joint effort by rescue services, health and social services, other authorities and partners.

Rescue Borealis 2025 follows on from the earlier Barents Rescue exercises, which also involved Russia.

Due to its war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia will not be invited to the new form of cooperation. As in the previous Barents Rescue exercise, this exercise will test the processes of receiving and providing transnational assistance to support rescue services.

Rescue Borealis 2025 will provide an excellent opportunity for Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish authorities to learn from their colleagues and share information about their equipment and practices.

The Finnish Ministry of the Interior, Finland's rescEU stockpiling projects and the Rescue Department of North Ostrobothnia will organise the Rescue Borealis 2025.

Finland hosts large rescEU stockpiles with a total value of EUR 305 million. The stockpile preparations and procurement are carried out by a consortium under the leadership of the Finnish Ministry of the Interior.

The consortium members are the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the National Emergency Supply Agency, and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.