A Finnish Soldier stands guard outside of building on May 26, 2026 at Vuosanka Training Area, Finland. From April 27 to May 31, 2026 U.S. and Allied forces will exercise NATO’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, demonstrating NATO’s ability to fight and win on the modern battlefield. Nearly 15,000 troops from eleven nations will train across the High North, Baltic region, and Poland, executing rapid maneuvers, air defense, counter-drone operations, and cyber defense to validate NATO’s regional defense plans in real time. This series of linked exercises, including Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response, turns investment into capability. Soldiers integrate unmanned systems, AI-enabled command and control, and live data networks to move faster, decide faster, and fight more effectively across all domains. Sword 26 demonstrates how U.S. Army Europe and Africa drives transformation at scale while strengthening deterrence. Together with our Allies, we are building a unified, lethal force ready to defend NATO territory and respond to any threat. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by 1st Sgt. Austin Berner)

More than 2,000 conscripts from a single Finnish intake fail to complete their military service, according to Ilta-Sanomat. The figure amounts to roughly one in six male conscripts, highlighting the substantial attrition in Finland’s supposedly universal conscription system.

The dropout rate is not new: Finnish Defence Forces data previously showed that around 16% of conscripts leave service early, with interruptions particularly concentrated in the beginning of service. This is a substantial waste of resources, one that could be to an extent avoided in a voluntary-based military.

Read the entire piece in Ilta-Sanomat.