Finland’s Defense Ministry has banned Russian citizens from buying a property that once served as a retirement home for national security reasons, writes Politico.
In October 2022, three Russian citizens came to Imatra and filled out the documents needed to buy a former old people’s home in Kankaanpää, on the southwestern side of Finland. All three provided the same email address and residence address in a residential area on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. This did not convince the officials.
Two months later, the Finnish Defense Ministry announced that it had banned the purchase, citing national security issues.
The authorities’ considerations were straightforward: the desired property of the Russians was within arm’s reach of the Niinisalo Garrison, where soldiers are trained. The former nursing home offers an unobstructed view of several roads leading into the garrison.
Juhani Tuori, a specialty real estate agent, said he heard about the proposed deal and thought it was strange. He has previously been involved in attempts to sell the property, but this time he didn’t participate. The agent said:
«I wondered why such a trade was made. Especially given the state of the world.»
A report by the Finnish Defense Ministry said that the deal was stopped because Kankaanpää plays a crucial role in Finnish security, and the property near Niinisalo Garrison if owned by third-country nationals, poses a threat to national security.
The events in Kankanpe show that suspicions of Russian activity have grown in Russia’s neighboring countries. For more than two decades, Russians enjoyed opportunities to buy property in Europe. Finland was no exception. Three Russian billionaires also bought a Finnish hockey team, while a Finnish energy company planned to jointly build a nuclear power plant with Russia’s Rosatomenergo.
Russian citizens have built holiday homes in various regions of Finland. At the time, it was seen as an innocent investment.
At the moment, the view has become more skeptical, taking into account Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the growing intelligence activity.
Finland has begun to evaluate Russian purchases much more seriously. A Finn recently bought back a hockey team, and plans for a nuclear power plant have also been scrapped.
The former nursing home that the Russians wanted to buy is definitely in need of some attention, as the property has fallen into serious disrepair in recent years.
It can be approached from two directions, and both forest roads and the main road lead from the property to Niinisalo Garrison.
Finland is currently preparing to join NATO together with Sweden. Russian President Vladimir Putin has responded to this with threats, which, in turn, make the two northern countries pay more attention to security.