Finland's most important international military exercise of the year started on Monday.

The Cold Response 26 exercise involves around 25,000 Nato troops from 14 countries, in northern areas of Finland, Norway and Sweden.

About 7,500 of the soldiers will be based in Finland, and the exercise is due to continue until 20 March.

In Finland, the military forces will primarily be transporting equipment and personnel between the cities of Rovaniemi and Sodankylä as well as between Kajaani and Sodankylä.

Transports during previous exercises in the region have caused road damage. For example, during the Nordic Response drill in 2024, tanks cracked roads in Enontekiö's village of Hetta.

If the military vehicles end up doing the same thing this year, the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) will be responsible to pay for their repair, according to Markku Riippi, from Lapland's Economic Development Centre.

"At least so far, the Defence Forces have been very willing to pay for them," he said.

Meanwhile, Jukka Ovaskainen, who runs a roadside Kesko-branded shop and petrol station in Vikajärvi, said he has been getting a lot of business from troops that drive by.

He said soldiers started appearing last week as they arrived for the exercises, and they seem to be particularly fond of energy drinks, fizzy drinks, crisps and sweets.

The drill is being orchestrated for the first time from the recently opened command center in Mikkeli, Nato's first command center in Finland.