Finnish Armour School Integrates Russian ‘Capture Doctrine’ Lessons from Ukraine War
Mika Mäenpää explained on the Etulinja podcast that tactics from the Ukraine conflict, including Russia’s “capture doctrine,” are now taught in Finland’s tank training.
The newest Etulinja podcast featured Mika Mäenpää, commander of the Finnish Defence Forces’ Armoured School, outlining how experiences from the Ukraine war are reshaping Finland’s armoured training. He described Russia’s “capture doctrine,” observed during the attempted seizure of Kyiv, and how Ukrainian forces countered it by blending modern drones with tank movements, especially in the summer Vivaldi counter-offensive.
These tactics are now part of the curriculum for Finnish tank units. The episode also explored broader drone-tank cooperation on the battlefield. Etulinja, produced by one outlet, is hosted by political reporters Lauri Nurmi and Juha Ristamäki and is available on Spotify and YouTube.
Why it matters
It shows Finland adapting its defence training to modern warfare lessons, influencing regional security dynamics.
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