The conflict in Ukraine has led to a sharp rise in the sale of military gear in Finland.
Sales of first-aid equipment, backpacking food and rations, combat equipment such as bulletproof vests and armour plates, and camping and outdoor clothing have seen the largest uptick.
Finnish army and outdoor speciality chain Varusteleka has reported sales spikes of 24+ percent, with some items already being sold out.
“We are selling more now than during Christmas, which is definitely the peak selling season. February-March is usually the quietest period. This has surprised us,” Varusteleka director of purchasing Elina Häme told national broadcaster Yle, adding that sales of items such as first-aid supplies have shot up ten-fold.
Varusteleka confirmed that the shortage of bulletproof vests and armour plates will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
The same trend has been witnessed at national outdoor retailer Partioaitta, which sold a record amount of emergency preparedness supplies, ranging from sleeping bags to first aid-kits. Some products, such as water purification equipment, have seen exponential sales growth.
“These products have experienced sales growth of as much as 8,000 percent”, Partioaitta CEO Nina Ehrnrooth told Yle.
While the hoarding is generally aimed at boosting emergency preparedness, some of the purchases have reportedly been used to help Ukrainians, Varusteleka's Häme said, citing visit from volunteers. Yet another category of customers include Finns who want to donate their gear to Ukrainians.
The Russian operation in Ukraine meant to "demilitarise and de-Nazify" the country in en effort to protect the Donbass Republics prompted several young Finns to go to Ukraine to support its cause, despite the Finnish Foreign Ministry advising against doing so. On the other hand, volunteers have been encouraged by Ukrainian leadership, among others its Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Russia repeatedly stressed that it will view volunteers as combatants who won't be eligible for prisoner-of-war status. Around 180 pro-Ukrainian mercenaries were killed in a Russian strike on the Yavorovsky military training ground in western Ukraine on Sunday using high-precision long-range weapons.
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