Residents of the Rovaniemi, Jyväskylä and Kuopio regions have received notice of the termination of their long-term rental contracts. They must leave their semi-detached or terraced flats within six months. The reason for this is the “strategically important land”, Finland's Radio Ere reported on Thursday. The termination will affect more than 60 homes and more than 120 people.
Most residents who received communication regarding the termination of their contracts at the end of November were surprised and shocked by the decision, the radio report emphasized. Some had lived there for more than a dozen years, while others were planning to raise children. They must vacate the premises by June 2025.
They lived next to a secret intelligence center that listened to signals from Russia.
Residents of Tikkakoski near Jyväskylä in central Finland, and in particular Silinjarvi near the Air Force Academy base and Kuopio, could see the air traffic control tower directly from their schoolyard.
Tikkakoski also became famous after the Helsingin Sanomat daily exposed the operation of a secret military intelligence center there. According to reports in 2017, the center specialized in controlling various types of signals, including those primarily coming from Russia.
A journalist covering the incident was taken to court for leaking confidential information.
Finland started this process several years ago
International exercises are regularly held at Rovaniemi Airport, and military exercises involving fighter jets have intensified since Finland joined NATO in April 2023.
According to information from Radio Yle, the process for the military to take over the developed strategic area began in 2019, but residents only learned about it in recent weeks.
Officials also expected tenants to move out sooner, by the end of 2024. In Rovaniemi, authorities are trying to help people find new apartments, but the situation is complicated by the lack of available apartments in the area.
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