Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces visited Finland

Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk visited Finland on the 22-23 April at the invitation of the Commander of the Finnish Army, Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki.

The visit begun with a meeting with the leadership of the Finnish Defence Forces at the Defence Command. Lieutenant General Pavliuk gave a lecture to the general staff officer course at the National Defense University and participated in discussions on the defense of the Capital region in the Guard Jaeger Regiment in Santahamina. On April 23, he was introduced to the Finnish Army operations in the Army Command in Mikkeli.

The visit was hosted by the Commander of the Finnish Army. Lieutenant General Välimäki visited Ukraine last year 15.-18. March.

-The conditions of modern warfare require the use of new technologies and approaches to the C2 of troops and changes to the established forms and methods of waging warfare. Experience – is the best teacher. It charges a lot for its work, but provides very clear explanations. The exchange of experience between Ukrainian and Finnish colleagues will allow both of our Armies to become stronger. It will contribute to the formation of a sustainable security environment in Europe, says Lieutenant General Pavliuk.

-Lieutenant General Pavliuk’s visit is a concrete step in further deepening defense (Land Forces) cooperation between Finland and Ukraine. During the visit, we discussed the situation in Ukraine, cooperation opportunities and, of course, material support. Based on the conversations, we got a clear picture of the needs and priorities of the Ukrainians as well as their urgency to receive support. This will assist us as we staff Ukraine support packages for decision making. To quote the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, “Finland will support Ukraine as long as it takes”, states Lieutenant General Välimäki.

-It was highly valuable for us to hear LTG Pavliuk’s speeches at the National Defense University and the Army Headquarters about Ukraine's warfighting experiences and changes taking place in the battlefield, and the effects new systems and technology has on tactics and operations. The examples of an experienced field commander on leading people in war and winning battles, as well as the conclusions about changes in warfare were quite concrete and thought-provoking, says Välimäki.

-We will continue to exchange information with Ukraine’s Land Forces. The intention is to incorporate this information to the body of knowledge which we are using to analyze and draw conclusions from on the changes taking place in warfighting and the effects on Land Forces. At the same time, we learn from the Ukrainian way of analyzing and developing their operating methods and ways in which they incorporate new technology based on combat experiences in a versatile and broad-minded manner and, above all, within a short time frame. The first steps in this regards has already been taken, states Välimäki.

-We wish the Ukrainian Land Forces and their commander great success and good soldier’s fortune on the battlefields! Слава Україні!

Chief of Defence Command Finland Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk and Commander of the Finnish Army Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki.

Lieutenant General Pavliuk gave a lecture to the general staff officer course at the National Defense University.