In Finland, military equipment sale surges amid ongoing Russia-Ukraine war

In the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the sales of military equipment in Finland has dramatically increased. The purchases are made by the volunteers wanting to fight for Ukraine against the Russian forces. As per the reports of Sputnik, Varusteleka, which is a Finnish army and outdoor speciality store, has experienced a 24% increase in sales, with some items already sold out.

Elina Häme, the director of buying at Varusteleka stated that they are selling more now than they were selling over the Christmas season. She further said that this has astonished them, according to Yle. The most significant increases have been in sales of first-aid supplies, backpacking food and rations, military equipment including bulletproof vests and armour plates, and camping and outdoor gear. Häme stated that the sale of first-aid supplies has increased by thousands of per cent. However, Varusteleka claims that they are running short of the bulletproof vests and armour plates and that will continue in the foreseeable future.

'Purchasing military, camping equipment might help Finland's emergency readiness': Elina Häme

Häme also stated that the people who want to go to Ukraine or organise donations to be sent there, visited the store. She further said that purchasing military and camping equipment might help Finland's emergency readiness and help homes become more prepared for calamities. Varusteleka suggests that sales in countries other than Finland have climbed as well.

A similar trend was seen at the national outdoor retailer Partioaitta, which sold a record quantity of emergency preparedness equipment, including sleeping bags and first-aid kits. Partioaitta CEO Nina Ehrnrooth told Yle that sales of these products have increased by as much as 8,000%. Partioaitta stated that it expected an increase in demand for specific items in the near future, but it did not anticipate such a significant spike in sales. However, the shop has not yet run out of stock.

Meanwhile, the Finnish Foreign Ministry has advised the citizens to not go to war-torn Ukraine, but many young Finns have gone to Ukraine to help the country fight the Russian forces. Ukrainian authorities have encouraged the volunteers to come and help Ukrainians amid the war with Russia, which started on February 24.

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