Russians Turn to Museum Trains

A recent news report revealed that Russia is operating heavily armed armored trains. This is interesting, as I had thought such machines had long since become mere historical anecdotes.

At the beginning of the Finnish Civil War in 1918, the railway network in southern Finland and most of the railway workshops fell into the hands of the Reds. As a result, the revolutionaries began manufacturing armored trains and obtained practical knowledge from the Russians on how to use them.

The military usefulness of trains tied to railways turned out to be less significant than hoped, even though Bolshevik Russia sent skilled armored train operators who provided guidance and advice on their use. Nevertheless, they were not without importance, and the weapon system continued to be developed in Finland up until the Second World War.

Once the war began, however, it became clear that advances in air power had made armored trains highly vulnerable, rendering them practically obsolete by the 1940s. Consequently, as early as 1942, they were converted into anti-aircraft batteries defending key troop and material transports, unloading stations, and railway yards, by equipping them with anti-aircraft guns.

Apparently, this obsolescence has not been recognized in Russia, since armored trains are still in use there. Or perhaps the country’s military believes it controls the airspace so completely that these rail-bound “monster trains” can still operate effectively—at least to secure home lines far from the actual front.

There is, of course, another possibility: that the reappearance of armored trains in the Russian army merely reflects the growing difficulties it faces as losses in men and materiel increase, and as Ukrainians strike infrastructure targets ever deeper behind the front lines.

In this light, the situation of the army carrying out Putin’s “special operation” is not made any easier by the announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump that he will impose sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. Nor is the effectiveness of this measure likely to diminish as Russia’s icy, dark winter approaches—a season when people are more dependent than ever on a functioning energy supply.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Patria TRACKX: Next-Generation Vehicle for Emerging Challenges
Rediscovered Relics: The Story Behind Finland's WWII Weapon Caches
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war

Will Fossil-Free Energy Turn Finland’s Economy Toward Growth?

One of the biggest international goals is to phase out fossil energy. That’s why it was interesting to note that 95 percent of Finland’s electricity production was based on fossil-free energy sources in 2024 — including nuclear, wind, hydro, and solar power, as well as renewable fuels.

Last year also marked a milestone: wind power surpassed hydropower to become the second largest source of electricity production. The only larger source is nuclear energy, which accounted for 38 percent of Finland’s electricity supply.

This development is not only excellent for climate action but also because fossil-free energy gives a competitive edge to investments that consume a lot of energy. For this reason, Finland is expected to attract a wide range of international investments in the coming years — from various data centers to fossil-free hydrogen production.

If and when these future promises are fulfilled, Finns will have reason to expect the national economy to finally embark on a path of growth. At the same time, Finland’s public finances could move toward balance — especially since the Finnish government has promised to implement reforms that support economic growth over the next two years.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Green Movement is Withering – And That’s Not a Bad Thing
The difficult times for Finland's economy are coming to an end
Towards green energy despite serious drawbacks

Towards green energy despite serious drawbacks

Finland is currently building a nuclear plant, which was expected to be ready by year 2009. According to the most recent news a new problem was noticed in the plant, and therefore its addition to an electricity network will be delayed even more. 

In spite of the huge delays - due to uncompromised safety needs - it is probable that the plant will be in full operation during the coming spring. And lifts the country to a self-sustainability in electricity. 

One of the solved problems in Finland is the final disposal of nuclear waste. That makes a distinction to all other countries in the world and gives the northern country a relative benefit in the people´s acceptability of nuclear power compared to other nations.  

In addition to nuclear power, Finland invests considerably in windmills. Their number has increased in few years so much that in January they produced almost equal amount of electricity as the nuclear plants (four old ones, and the one cited above, which is in test use). 

Therefore it can be expected that Finland will become a net producer of energy in near future - most of which will be green (composed of nuclear energy, wind power, bioenergy and hydropower). That should open a new avenue to the northern country to gain economic investments. And to increase the standard of living of its inhabitants in a sustainable way. 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Reducing taxes, enhancing export and paying the governmental debt
The reasons behind the fall of Nokia´s cellphone business
They want to wipe out from Finland what is good for Africa