By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy As we start to move into the colder months, Finnish sneaker and lifestyle brand Karhu has just debuted a whole new collection ready to take on the seasonal elements titled Known as one of Kanye West’s favorite sneaker brands, Karhu this time around pays homage to its early days of being a cross-country ski brand — which started out in a small village named Kitee back in 1916 — as well as honoring world champion and Olympic athlete Harri Kirvesniemi. The pack is made up of the Fusion 2.0 which have been fashioned from a mix of pigskin suede and is dressed in two different colorway options of “Chocolate Torte/Shadow Gray” and “Chocolate Torte/Blue Fog.” Additionally the sneaker’s rope lacing and speckled midsole add a bit of an outdoorsy feel the the overall vibe Two ski factories in Finland have landed a deal of over €10m We bring you the details and what this means for the industry and consumers Around a third of the skis sold in Finland are made in Finland a ski factory in the Finnish town of Kitee produces around 15-20,000 pairs recent geo-political events may be about to change where in the world our skis are manufactured bringing the Finnish producers to an even greater world stage the Finnish ski manufacturing industry received some good news with the announcement that two producers had won the NATO Supply and Logistics Agency’s (NSPA) tender for ski equipment worth more than €10 million. We look at how this latest big deal is shaping the ski industry and influencing what’s on offer for consumers SUBSCRIBE TODAY! View all subscription plans on our subscription page. analysis and advice for the global sporting goods industry Site powered by Webvision Cloud HELSINKI FINLAND Nightwish one of the most successful Finnish bands of all time They will perform in their hometown Kitee in June 2023 -world tour concert will be seen on Friday 2023 at Kitee Rantakenttä renovated baseball stadium The concert is organized in cooperation with Kiteen Pallo the city of Kitee and the event production company Nordic Live Productions Nightwish world tour to Finland next summer - two concerts Nightwish has already announced another concert in Finland The Kitee and Vaasa performances are Nightwish's last domestic concerts before the band takes a break to work on a new album The Nightwish concert in Kitee will be one of the biggest single event nights in eastern Finland founding member and leader of the Nightwish band is excited about the upcoming concert in his hometown: ”All band members were extremely happy when we were told about the gig at Kitee Rantakenttä It will be the last performance of the Human and for me the absolute highlight of the whole round and people from all over the world will for sure create a magical feeling for the event People have been waiting for the band to come to Kitee for over two decades In addition to the keyboardist and leader Tuomas Holopainen bassist Jukka Koskinen and drummer Kai Hahto will be seen on stage We are really excited to be able to arrange the concert at the renovated Rantakenttä stadium next summer and promise to make the June 2023 concert a memorable and unique experience the concert will feature a few other bands at the beginning of the evening which will be announced later," says Tommi Mäki The story of the worldwide famous band Nightwish has been documented in the Kitee Tourist Information - A Nightwish Story exhibition center which opened in the center of Kitee in 2020 The exhibition presents the band's journey from a small band project in Kitee to one of the biggest metal bands in the world features rare material that can only be seen and experienced in Kitee "A Nightwish Story - exhibition center will be open around the clock between June 15 and 17 It will be absolutely amazing to see Nightwish perform at Rantakenttä Stadium next summer The renovated stadium offers an excellent setting for the event and city of Kitee warmly welcomes all the concert guests," says Kitee city manager Pekka Hirvonen The goal is to break the audience record at Rantakettä Stadium The total capacity of Kitee Rantakenttä baseball stadium is around 10,000 people for the concert almost the entire baseball field serves as an audience area which would clearly break the stadium's previous visitor record The current audience record for Rantakkenttä is 7,773 spectators at the 1996 East-West match The local major baseball club Kiteen Pallo is strongly involved in the arrangements of the concert "We expect stadium capacity of more than 10,000 seats to be filled quickly after ticket sales starts it would be the biggest event in the history of the baseball stadium Regarding the concert arrangements we will cooperate with Kiteen city Kiteen Pallo and other local clubs and organizations," adds Tommi Mäki Kiteen Pallo also warmly welcomes Nightwish to Rantakenttä "Nightwish is the biggest star in the music world of our region and this event has a special meaning for Kiteen Pallo as well as for all the club's partners and fans We believe that Rantakenttä audience record will be broken with a bang Years of cooperation with the band members have been seamless and the upcoming event also shows respect for our cooperation and we welcome all Nightwish fans to Kitee for the whole event week" Ticket sales for the concert will start on Friday Ticket sales for the Kitee Nightwish concert will start on Friday, November 11, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. at lippu.fi There will be age-restricted tickets and K18 tickets plus various VIP tickets sold for the concert Tickets from €79.90VIP tickets from €159.90Tickets are sold by: Lippu.fi Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Third-generation Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC Challenge Program driver Takumi Matsushita showed phenomenal pace on his final rally of the 2024 season where he was joined by fellow Challenge Program member Shotaro Goto Matsushita and Goto faced the fastest rally of their careers to date in Kitee taking on gravel roads that featured similarities to Finland’s world championship round further west in Jyväskylä: fast and flowing with lots of jumps and crests and high-speed corners which need to be transitioned between smoothly to maximise pace A technical problem on the first stage cost Matsushita and co-driver Pekka Kelander a chance of a strong overall finish But impressively Matsushita fixed his car at the roadside managing to continue with a time penalty due to the delays caused by his repair efforts His pace thereafter was incredibly impressive regularly matching the pace of Finland’s best junior drivers throughout the rally For Goto it was a short-lived end to the season: a small error in a high-speed corner on the rally’s opening stage sent him into a spin and off the road leading to his and co-driver Jussi Lindberg’s retirement Quotes:Shotaro Goto:“It’s a shame that I retired on the first stage which meant I had no chance to gain more experience after that There was a fast left-hander where I was doing around 150km/h and couldn’t quite make it – but this is a fast rally that requires big commitment so it’s important to push otherwise you risk being left behind earlier in the season I did not feel I was pushing enough to find the limit at times This was my only retirement of the year and making such mistakes is an important part of growing as a driver Future SM-Ralli in Lahti was a highlight: my pace was much better than I’d expected pre-event which gave me lots of confidence in driving to my pacenotes and gave me a good feeling about the direction I was going in.” Takumi Matsushita:“It was the best rally of my life so far I had a great feeling behind the wheel; our big step forward on this event was from the quality of the pacenotes I’d made I was able to build up a more precise image of the road than ever before and attack the road as I can trust the pacenotes I’d made with Pekka It’s been a great season and I feel I have made a huge step At the first rally in Pohjanmaa I had to focus on making it through the corners to reach the finish – but now I have a lot of leftover mental capacity to consider how to maximise my pace I went from believing in myself that I could compete with the best drivers in Finland at the start of this program to matching their pace by the end of the season.” Mikko Hirvonen (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program chief instructor):“It was a really strong performance from Takumi He was unlucky to run into technical issues on the opening stage but his comeback was incredibly impressive He demonstrated how much he’s learned this year with how consistently fast he was He was really close to the fastest drivers in Finland in his category which is especially impressive given how high speed yet technical the roads were While Shotaro did not have the chance to demonstrate his speed his accident is part of the learning curve of rallying for any young driver That this was the first rally-ending accident of the season for either driver is a testament to how impressive they’ve been all year Across the season their progress has been clear Considering they started this year with zero experience of driving to pacenotes and faced a completely new environment we are very impressed with what they have achieved in 2024.” 1 Tuukka Kauppinen/Veli-Pekka Karttunen (Ford Fiesta Rally4) 2 Valentino Ledda/Claudio Mele (Renault Clio Rally4) 3 Joni Korhonen/Miro Iljina (Peugeot 208 Rally4) 4 Leevi Lassila/Antti Linnaketo (Ford Fiesta Rally4) 5 Niko Kalmi/Sofia Rantasalo (Ford Fiesta Rally4) 6 Takumi Matsushita/Pekka Kelander (Renault Clio Rally4) Ret Shotaro Goto/Jussi Lindberg (Renault Clio Rally4) Kitee marks the final competitive outing of the 2024 season for Matsushita and Goto.But both third-generation Challenge Program drivers will continue to work on their pacenote-making skills this year including taking part in the recce of the last two rounds of the World Rally Championship season TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program second-generation drivers Yuki Yamamoto and Hikaru Kogure will compete on the World Rally Championship season finale in Japan on November 21-24 aboard TOYOTA GR Yaris Rally2s TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program is supported by following partners Challenge Program trio ace Italian tarmac test Matsushita and Goto deliver pace and progress in Lahti Rookie duo fly on Rally Finland warm-up event Japanese rally rookies complete their Finnish debut Nightwish mastermind Tuomas Holopainen looks back on band splits drunken behaviour and epic fashion disasters He can savour the fact that his band have overtaken nuclear-strength grog as the biggest thing to have emerged from Kitee in the last two decades What started out as an acoustic project dreamed up around a campfire in the woods in the mid-90s has become a symphonic metal juggernaut and the most successful Finnish band ever There has been turbulence along the way – most notably the acrimonious firing of original singer Tarja Turunen in 2005 They hit another bump at the start of 2021 when linchpin bassist and co-vocalist Marko Hietala announced his departure “I was totally devastated for a few days” “I was almost completely sure that this was the end of the band.” Not only have Nightwish recruited touring replacement Jukka Koskinen but Tuomas has been working on material for the follow-up to 2020’s Human “Nightwish is not some dream come true for me” he insists of the 25-year journey that has brought him here I wanted to be the Indiana Jones of the seas...” I had adventures in the nearby forests with my imaginary friends Huey And that still describes me pretty well.” Sign up below to get the latest from Metal Hammer She put me into piano lessons when I was six and then I started playing the clarinet when I was seven.” What was the band that made you want to be a musician but they had bought me the ticket so I went The next week I bought all the Metallica cassettes that I could find The story goes that you conceived Nightwish around a campfire in the woods I was spending a night at my parents’ cabin at this little island with the guys from a high school band I was in called Dismal Silence While we were barbecuing sausages and having a few drinks I told the other guys that I wanted to form a band because I wanted to write my own songs I said it will be completely acoustic campfire music go for it.’ And then a week later I joined the army.” Did they teach you how to kill an enemy soldier with a spoon but it’s mandatory in Finland that all the males go to the army I decided to take the short path and try my luck entering the military band You had to do all the shit with the guns and all that for eight weeks but luckily I spent the next seven months playing about 300 shows and marches with the band.” Do you ever wonder what would have happened if they’d have sent you to a war zone “I would have lost my mind because I can’t handle guns I can’t understand the laws in the US for where you can actually buy a gun without a background check for self-defence Finland doesn’t have a great track record for producing world-famous bands Did that make you determined to be successful I read about [famed undersea explorer] Jacques Cousteau when I was six I was studying to become an environmental scientist That lasted about five months before I quit my studies moved back to live with my parents and borrowed money from my dad to buy a new keyboard But there was never a big ambition in Nightwish: ‘We have to sell this many records.. we have to sell out Wembley Arena.’” You sang on a few tracks on the first Nightwish album Did anyone tell you at the time that it might not be the best idea I was hoping that we could ask somebody like Timo Kotipelto from Stratovarius or maybe Jukka [Nevalainen Did the kids know you were an aspiring rock star?  so I got this job as a stand-in teacher in the local high school My main job was to take care of a girl in a wheelchair – I’d take her to class ‘Can you replace me for a day?’ I have absolutely no qualifications for that You came close to splitting the band and quitting music early on Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you had gone through with that “I would have gone back to university and continued with my studies as a biologist I really would have – that was what I was going to do But I was on a hike with my friend Tony [Kakko you will regret it for the rest of your life.’ He also told us that we needed to hire a manager because myself and Jukka were managing the band booking shows and taking care of contracts without anyone watching our backs 2004’s Once was the album that took you to another level What was it like being in Nightwish at that point “It was one of the best eras of the band We were at the right place at the right time The metal scene in Finland was rising massively: Him but also we made our strongest album by then but I remember being really confident that it wouldn’t fail this might be something big.’” And then you fired Tarja Turunen after Once The persistence was there: ‘We need to get over this and show the world.’” There’s a perception that you can be a ruthless bastard when it comes to getting rid of bandmembers Like Red said to Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption ‘Every man has his breaking point.’ You can just imagine how difficult things had to have been for us to deal with things the way we did it should have been dealt with so much better but I forgive myself and the other bandmembers for dealing with it the way we did because of the state that we were in.” Even though the wounds are still there on both sides my father passed away and she immediately sent me an email with her condolences You have talked about being “in a dark place” after Tarja left The things that really saved me from doing anything silly were my family my close friends and the film The Village by M Just the idea of this community living in peace in the middle of the wood Plus it has the best soundtrack ever written It just filled me with comfort and hope.” Does the responsibility of being at the centre of Nightwish ever get stressful There’s a very common misconception that people have of me that I’m a tyrant and I want to take care of everything I think they would agree that I try to be as invisible a band leader as possible I make the final decisions when it comes to important matters but I don’t want to make an issue out of it.” Is that something you’ve steered away from There was the rock’n’roll lifestyle for a few years What’s the most rock’n’roll thing you’ve ever done But that was when the troubles with Tarja were happening we were really close about 10 or 15 years ago and also Donald Duck and board games – innocent The past few years we weren’t in contact so much We’d send SMS and call each two or three times a year we just didn’t see each other much.” We knew he was going through some troubles with his physical health I remember falling on my knees – like ‘No way.’ It punched me big time a naivety when it came to music that I really respected.” what do you miss most about Nightwish’s early days you’re bound to get a little bit jaded about doing another American or European tour for six weeks but the initial excitement is not there anymore it’s not the same as it was in 1999 when we toured for the first time To get that excitement back in would be something special.” Have you ever seen a photo of yourself back in the day and thought “What the hell was I wearing?” I used to wear white tennis socks with red stripes on them and pants that were too short I used to have these Rasta extensions in my hair What are the benefits of being a member of Finland’s most successful band Does it get you the best seats in all the restaurants?  I still haven’t got used to people recognising me but they don’t stop me – that’s not the Finnish mentality you don’t usually have to buy the drinks.” Does Nightwish make you happy all the time You said in 2019 that if another bandmember leaves “That’s how I felt back in 2019 and that’s also how I felt when Marko left I take my words back when it comes to that Then I’d just have to come up with something else.” "The universe is not fair like that." Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson tells new bands they'll get nowhere without self-belief “We did get very wild and crazy at points. I remember thinking, ‘Why aren’t we getting arrested?’”: The violent, bloody birth of the Bay Area thrash scene “Metallica were still a local band. It made no sense for me to say, ‘I’m out of here, I’m going to join them”: The man who was asked to replace James Hetfield as singer in Metallica – and turned it down Earlier this month, NIGHTWISH keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen took part in a question-and-answer session at the Kitee International Music And Art Festival in Kitee, Finland. You can now watch the discussion below. According to Tuomas, the next NIGHTWISH album will be rehearsed, arranged and recorded at "the traditional NIGHTWISH summer camp" in Kitee, with the exception of the drum recordings, which will take place elsewhere. "And [then we will go] back to London for some orchestra and some choirs and then we're gonna mix it at Finnvox [studios in Helsinki]," he said. Tuomas also revealed that there is a lyrical theme tying together all the songs he has written for NIGHTWISH's next record, but he declined to elaborate, saying: "No other bandmembers have heard anything. We've had some discussions over the things and some of the songs, but it's in such an early stage, and I'm still working at home on my own, so… let's keep it a mystery a while longer." Holopainen went on to say that NIGHTWISH will professionally film and record one of the shows on the group's current tour in support of its recently released "Decades" compilation for a possible DVD release. He explained: "The majority of these songs that we are doing on this tour are never gonna be played again, I think, so it's a good idea to immortalize them." NIGHTWISH's next album will mark the band's second full-length release with singer Floor Jansen, who has been touring with the group since 2012. "some music was meant to stay underground..." Open image viewerHarri Kirvesniemi holding a KSF Sport-made Nato ski Image: Ari Haimakainen / YleYle News24.4.2023 14:03An order from Nato for thousands of pairs of cross country skis means that Finnish ski manufacturer KSF Sport will need to begin hiring new workers based in Eastern Finland's municipality of Kitee recently landed a major contract valued at around three million euros from the Nato Support and Procurement Organisation The initial order of 8,200 pairs of skis will be used by troops at the Kainuu and Jäger Brigades The all-white skis with special quick-release metal bindings are wider than many cross country skis available to the public and the end of each ski is reinforced with aluminium for protection during transport Kirvesniemi said that securing the deal was proof of the company's abilities The North Karelian company's CEO is also a former world champion and six-time Olympic medalist**.** "It's great proof that our team has been able to build a ski that works A ski like that would never have been built without a competent team," he explained adding that the deal is also good news from a financial perspective "This deal will double our annual turnover," he said noting that the company can now guarantee its workers year-round employment The company will likely need around five more employees on its factory floor giving the region a bit of an employment boost if other alliance countries with snowy conditions end up ordering skis for their troops KSF is set to begin full scale production of the Nato skis in May and the company has bought new equipment to make them as there is only one model," Kirvesniemi said noting their best selling ski line varies in size and rigidity so that there are actually 15 different models KSF staff members would take summer vacations at the same time but now the facility will be so busy that the company is considering switching to two work shifts and also the possibility of staggering time off in the summer The firm is also planning to offer a very similar civilian version of the Nato skis Would you like a roundup of the week's top stories in your inbox every Thursday? Then sign up to receive our weekly email. Open image viewerA weather camera image from the Lake Vuotunki area of Kuusamo on Sunday morning. Image: FintrafficYle News4.5. 14:55•Updated 4.5. 17:30Damage to an electric rail track in eastern Finland disrupted train traffic between Parikkala and Joensuu on Sunday, according to Fintraffic. The damage was in Kitee, North Karelia, some 65 kilometres south of Joensuu and roughly 20km from the Russian border. The glitch caused passenger rail delays of 30 to 90 minutes beginning on Sunday morning. Fintraffic's rail traffic centre said at around 1:30pm that repair work on the electric track damage had just begun. It estimated that the work would take four hours. The fault was repaired shortly before 4pm, with service re-starting soon afterwards. However some knock-on delays are still possible. Open image viewerState Railways VR said that at least the IC3, IC10, IC5 and IC12 trains would be replaced by buses between Kesälahti and Joensuu. Meanwhile, heavy snow has snarled traffic further north in eastern Finland. Kuusamo and Salla received 20–30 centimetres of snow on Sunday, making driving conditions very poor. Kuusamo is in Koillismaa, the northeastern corner of North Ostrobothnia, while Salla is in Eastern Lapland. The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) told the Finnish news agency STT on Sunday afternoon that strong winds were creating snowdrifts, so there was even more new snow than that in some places. It predicted that snowfall would continue in the area throughout Sunday. Driving conditions were slightly better north of Kuusamo, where road surfaces were below freezing. Further south in Kainuu, though, road temperatures were above freezing, causing potentially dangerous driving conditions. There is a chance of snow in other parts of Eastern Finland on Sunday, with rain showers elsewhere in the country. Daytime temperatures were projected to be mostly 4-9 degrees Celsius on Sunday and Monday, but staying below freezing in parts of Lapland. Overnight lows are set to drop to between +1 to -10. The FMI warned that winds could be dangerously strong from the Åland Islands up to eastern Lapland. Those gusty northerly winds are expected to calm down overnight. It also warns of poor driving in many other parts of northern Finland besides Kuusamo and Salla. Temperatures are set to remain unseasonably cool in southern Finland. "Last night it fell slightly below freezing even as far south as Helsinki Airport," meteorologist Iiris Idoko said on Sunday afternoon. Temperatures may dip below zero throughout the country over the next few nights, so outdoor plants may be at risk of frost. And motorists should be aware that there may be snow or sleet showers in parts of Pirkanmaa, Satakunta and Central Finland late Monday and early Tuesday. Open image viewerThe Natural Resources Institute Finland estimated that there were around 310 individual wolves in Finland in March this year Image: Volodymyr Burdiak / Alamy/All Over PressYle News14.6.2023 10:45The number of wolves in Finland has increased slightly this year compared to 2022 according to a report published on Wednesday by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) The institute's report estimated that there were between 291 and 331 individuals in March this year — with the most probable figure around 310. This represents an increase of about 7 percent compared to the same month last year The wolf population in Finland has increased by around 10 percent per year since 2017 This population spurt can be explained by the high reproductive rate of the wolf population as well as an increasingly lower mortality rate The report also observed that wolves have migrated from Russia in growing numbers over recent years The majority of Finland's wolf population has been concentrated in the western part of the country for many years with about a third of territories located in the east but Luke noted that new wolf territories have emerged in southwest Finland too has worried residents — especially sheep farmers a total of 518 sheep and 1,261 reindeer were killed by wolves in Finland and just under 50 attacks on dogs were recorded by animal welfare authorities a sheep farmer near Kitee on Finland's eastern border told Yle that wolves in the area have been attacking domestic animals and pets and have recently attacked sheep out grazing in a field after learning to dig under electrified fences "We don't need any actual hunting of wolves quick and sensible way to remove the few individuals that do come here to attack other animals," Leppänen said Figures compiled by Luke revealed that about 60 wolves died last year the majority of them in reindeer husbandry areas where wolves are not protected Luke Research Professor Ilpo Kojola said he considers this mortality rate to be quite low there are also incidents that are not recorded in the statistics," he added The case involves a Frenchman and his daughter who said they lost their way while kayaking on Pyhäjärvi Lake in Kitee Open image viewerImage: Petri Kivimäki / Yle9.7.2017 17:55Finland's Northern Karelia Border Guards say they are investigating a French duo who strayed across the eastern border into Russia as a case of illegal border crossing The incident involved a French father and his daughter who crossed the border from Finland into Russia and back again A Border Guardsmen out on patrol held a French man and his daughter in Saturday afternoon after they briefly drifted across the border into Russia in the near Suitsansaari Border Guards said that the duo had been kayaking in an area where civilian craft are prohibited Border Guard director Markku Räty said the father and daughter team explained that they had accidentally wandered into the prohibited area They were on Suitsansaari island when they were detained by the border officials "They were evidently taking a break," Räty commented The French nationals had been kayaking in Finland since mid-May and intended to stay in Finland until August the Border Guards contacted Russian border officials in Suojärvi They will continue to review the matter with their Russian counterparts Finnish Border Guards are calling on people travelling near the eastern border to verify their locations — especially in eastern waterways — and above all to ascertain whether or not permits are needed to move about in the border zone the 62-year-old design firm is again tightening its belt more equipment has been transferred from Petrozavodsk for the war against Ukraine Three large buildings have been rapidly erected in the Russian wilderness near the Finnish border They are used by Russia’s Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade about 50 kilometres from the Finnish border east of the municipality of Salla in Finnish Lapland Satellite images obtained by Yle show that Russia has also built a new large military storage site in Petrozavodsk The construction projects are the first concrete sign that Russia has again begun investing in its military bases near Finland after years with little or no development So far, Russia has mainly amassed troops stationed near the Finnish border for its war against Ukraine. In July 2022 Yle reported that an entire battalion tactical group had left Alakurtti for the war The pictures below show the first two new warehouses appearing in Alakurtti You can see the change when you slide the image Planet Labs (right)Yle has reviewed several satellite images of the base this summer They indicate that the buildings were erected from foundation to full height within one day The first hall was raised on 9 July and the second on 28 July The latest satellite image shows a third similar structure Open image viewerThis image of Alakurtti is of lower quality but the three new halls can be seen in the circled area 28 August 2023.The rapid pace of construction indicates a new building method A strong plastic-coated fabric roof is attached to top of a lightweight metal frame a military expert specialising in Russia tells Yle "This is the first time this technology has reportedly been used in the northern region the material can withstand severe cold," says Major (Ret.) Marko Eklund Eklund has worked in Finnish military intelligence and monitored the Russian Armed Forces for more than 20 years Russia used the same construction method in the 2010s when it quickly established new garrisons along the Ukrainian border as seen in these photos of a base near Rostov published by Russian military blogger Igor Girkin in early 2018: with a floor area of some 2,500 square meters He says that each building could easily accommodate the combat vehicles of one battalion or about 40 MT-LB armoured personnel carriers Satellite images of Alakurtti show rectangular light-coloured areas next to the new halls These are most likely foundations for other planned buildings The foundations have been in place since at least 2017 they represent an unfinished construction project Traditional equipment halls were probably planned for the area but have been made redundant by the structures built with the new technique "The new model is a significantly cheaper solution compared to a traditional hall made of sheet metal and concrete," Eklund points out Open image viewerImage: Ilkka Kemppinen / YleRussia has stationed about 2,000 troops at the Alakurtti base but at least one third or even half of them have been sent to fight in Ukraine The garrison is home to the 80th Separate Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade The troops from Alakurtti have suffered losses in Ukraine Ukraine struck a command post manned by the brigade near the front but no further details have been given about the damage caused by the attack Its equipment includes armoured personnel carriers but not main battle tanks The new halls can only accommodate some of the base's equipment However, if a decision were made to increase the number of troops in the region – as the Russian leadership has claimed it will do because of Finland's Nato membership – new structures could appear very quickly if necessary Yle has also identified through satellite images another large construction site in Petrozavodsk the site of Russia's largest concentration of military materiel near the Finnish border armoured vehicles were stored in the open area This picture shows the frame of the new hall Some 50 armoured vehicles could fit into the hall Images reveal that a large gabled hall was built amid the cannons and tanks stored at the depot in early July It was probably made using the same technique as the news structures in Alakurtti Eklund estimates that the new building measures about 50 by 25 meters about 50 armoured vehicles if parked densely the Petrozavodsk structure is likely to be used for equipment maintenance the Petrozavodsk depot’s most important task at the moment is to refurbish and deliver equipment for the war against Ukraine combat vehicles and artillery are stored at the site enough to equip at least one motorised brigade of 4,000 soldiers Most of the equipment is stored in the open making it easier to see what is happening there than at many other military sites Satellite image of the Petrozavodsk depot: Open image viewerImage: Ilkka Kemppinen / YleOver 100 howitzers sent from Petrozavodsk to the frontThe Petrozavodsk equipment is very old It was collected from units in the region that were disbanded in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union As the war grinds on with Russia losing much of its newer equipment this satellite image of the Petrozavodsk depot taken on 18 June shows 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers being loaded onto train wagons: Eklund has determined from satellite images that the number of artillery weapons at the Petrozavodsk depot has been steadily decreasing since Russia began its full-scale attack on Ukraine just over a year and a half ago about 10 batteries have disappeared from the area Since the stored batteries contained 12–18 artillery pieces each well over 100 artillery pieces have already been sent to the front from Petrozavodsk Most of the artillery sent to the front was taken from this area of ​​the equipment depot 2021 (Google Earth) and 16 July 2023 (Planet Labs): Images: Google Earth / Maxar Technologies (left) Planet Labs (right)Based on satellite images Yle has also monitored the situation at several other Russian military bases near the Finnish border They do not show any significant permanent changes Russia has repeatedly threatened to respond to Finland joining Nato last April as well as Sweden's expected accession Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia was planning to strengthen its armed forces near the Finnish border there has been no sign of reinforcement of troops Could the construction of the new buildings be a sign that Russia is moving toward reinforcing its north-western border an associate professor of war studies at the Swedish Defence University "Russia has nothing to put here on [our] eastern border equipment from the border is being deployed elsewhere and Ukraine is the number one destination," Käihkö tells Yle Russia does not have enough troops and equipment to strengthen the Finnish border region as long as the war in Ukraine continues at its current level "Shoigu's bluster is just bluster," says Käihkö the new buildings in Alakurtti and Petrozavodsk are likely to be used to refurbish equipment for the war in Ukraine and have no significance for Finland's security "At least there is no need [for Finland] to take any immediate action based on this information," he says Käihkö adds that Finnish military intelligence is well aware of changes in Russian military sites near the border currently works as a background reporter at Yle's news and current affairs editorial office Edited 12.9.2023: Two picture sources were changed The satellite picture of Alakurttitaken on 21.10.2022 was taken by Airbus the most recent picture was taken on 27.8.2023 Edited 13.9 picture credit: The Petrozavodsk picture from 25.10.2022 was taken by Airbus Home Engineering is a very popular field of study nowadays and many young people compete to get into good engineering colleges in India To help students who want to pursue engineering after finishing high school we’ve put together a list of the top engineering entrance exams in India These exams are important steps for students who want to study engineering at a higher level We’ve created a detailed guide to give these students a clear understanding of the top engineering entrance exams in India get ready and prepare yourself for success Here are some top engineering entrance exams in below: Engineering is one of the most desired careers in India and is seen as one of the best options for students after completing high school thousands of exams are held across India for students to get into various engineering colleges These entrance exams are the doorways to popular engineering courses like Computer Science These courses provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen fields Engineering isn’t just a subject to study; it’s a way of life Students who pursue engineering can solve real-world problems and use their knowledge to make a positive impact There are many opportunities available in India for engineers Indian engineering colleges offer a wide range of courses so students can pick the one that matches their interests and career aspirations from traditional engineering subjects to modern ones like AI and Robotics With technology always advancing and the engineering industry constantly evolving there are always plenty of job opportunities in India Engineering is an exciting field with endless possibilities for those who choose to pursue it The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is a big test for engineering students all over India It’s organized by the National Testing Agency (NTA) Many students take this test because it helps them get into top engineering colleges like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) The JEE has two parts: JEE Main and JEE Advanced which is needed to get into IITs and some other top engineering colleges students can get into undergraduate engineering and architecture courses at the best colleges in India It also helps students get into other good colleges like the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) students have to pass both the JEE Main and JEE Advanced exams they need to go through a counseling process to choose their courses The BITSAT is a test you take to get into three different campuses of BITS – Pilani BITS is a very good science and technology institute in India This test is done on the internet and has questions from four subjects – Physics English Proficiency & Logical Reasoning BITSAT is very important if you want to study at BITS Pilani It helps the institute decide if you are a good fit for the engineering or science program you applied for The Vellore Institute of Technology organizes a test called the VIT Engineering Entrance Exam (VITEEE) This test happens every year to choose students for different undergraduate programs in engineering The VITEEE for the year 2023 will be held online from April 2023 students must meet certain requirements set by VIT These requirements include passing Class 12 with good marks in each subject SRMJEEE is a test held all over India for students who want to join the SRM Institutes of Science and Technology usually three times a year: in April – July you can join different undergraduate engineering programs at four university campuses in Kattankulathur the top 1000+ students who ranked high in the IIT JEE exam along with those who scored well in central and state board exams can get direct admission to SRM Institutes the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) takes place This exam is for students who want to study courses like B.Tech and others in different universities and colleges in West Bengal The WBJEE board will organize this exam in 2023 It’s recommended that applicants double-check if their admit cards are genuine before going for the exam The WBJEE exam is quite tough because of the high level of competition That’s why aspirants must have the right study material for WBJEE and a good plan for managing their time effectively If you’re interested in becoming an engineer in India there are some important exams you can take after finishing high school These exams are either held nationally or by individual states or colleges start preparing early and use all the resources you can find check out the colleges that offer the engineering course you want and what they need for their exams This will help you make the right decision This article lists the top entrance exams that are recommended after completing the 12th standard The article lists the top engineering entrance exams in India that are best for engineering The name of engineering entrance exam is JEE Adda247 Engineering Jobs is India’s most authentic and trusted website for free job alerts resources for engineering government job preparation and the latest information about important government jobs for engineers and record producer who has a net worth of $10 million and keyboardist for the metal band Nightwish He started playing piano at seven and studied tenor saxophone and clarinet He joined his first bands in 1993 and played with Darkwoods My Betrothed Nightwish was formed in 1996 and their debut album Angels Fall First was released in 1997 They released the albums Oceanborn in 1998 Their 2004 release Once sold over a million copies and helped the band breakthrough in the United States Their single "Wish I Had an Angel" received airplay on MTV in 2004 and was featured on three film soundtracks in the U.S. Their 2007 album Dark Passion Play has sold almost two million copies and their single "Amaranth" became successful in Europe Nightwish is the most successful Finnish band and has sold over eight million records worldwide and earned over 60 gold and platinum awards and has had five #1 albums and 13 #1 singles In 2014 Holopainen released his debut solo studio album Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge © 2025 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved