Aslak (19) and Iver (21) are packing up warm clothes in the room before leaving for patrol out in the freezing cold wilderness along the Norwegian-Russian border. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The Norwegian soldiers are armed when on patrol along the border to Russia. There are two border stations where the soldiers live when on duty. Here, the Pasvik border station, responsible for the southern sector of the 200 km long border. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Packing up the gear for the patrol along the Norwegian-Russian border. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Head of the unit of border guards in Pasvik, Lars Erik Gausen, keeps an eye on possible movements close to the border line on both sides of the frozen river. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The border soldiers use snowmobiles in winter and patrol boats on the river during summer. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
There are no fences or other physical barriers on the Norwegian side of the border. Russian border guards, however, have built a several meters high barbed wired fence all long its border with Norway and Finland. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
"The border runs in the River," the signs says. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The temperature in Pasvik dropped to minus 25 degrees Celsius as Army conscripts Aslak and Iver made patrol along the border. Norway's side of the border is marked with yellow and black border poles. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Watching Russia: On a normal day there is little but taiga forest to see on the other side of the border along the Pasvik River. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
While no civilians are allowed to enter anywhere near the border on the Russian side, Norwegians can freely move along the riverbanks and even fish in the river. Private houses and cabins are all along the Pasvik River. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
On the Russian side, civilians are not allowed to move anywhere in the border area without special permission. A barbed-wire fence stretches all way from the coast to the Barents Sea in the north and 1,540 km all way to the Bay of Finland in the south. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The Russian checkpoint at Borisoglebsk is the only legal way to exit Russia along its border with Norway. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The Norwegian-Russian border is 198 km from Finland in the south to the Barents Sea in the north. In the Pasvik valley, the borderline follows the river. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
U.S. Soldiers assigned to “Viper Company”, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) brought military terrain vehicles to the exercise Ryske 2022. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Finnish soldiers from the Jaeger Brigade in Sodankylä. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Conscript Adrian Isaksen and Lt. Anders Smith with the Porsanger battalion were in charge of radio communication during the exercise. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Some 150 soldiers from the Porsanger battalion participated in exercise Ryske 22. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Three countries, three commanders, discussing the progress of exercise Ryske at the Rovajärvi artillery training ground in northern Finland. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Finland's SISU armoured vehicles are used for transporting troops in the terrain. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The Rovajärvi military training ground between Kemijärvi, Sodankylä and Rovaniemi in northern Finland is the largest for artillery exercises in Western Europe. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Commander Szorady led the U.S. Army airborne troopers participating in exercise Ryske 22. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Company commander, Capt. Petter Nybøle Lie, with the Porsanger battalion. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Norwegian soldiers smiling after beating the U.S. troopers in one of the battles of exercise Ryske. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Photo: Thomas Nilsen
SISU XA (Patria Pasi) armoured personnel vehicle made in Finland. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Two U.S. Army soldiers studying the map of the exercise area west of Kemijärvi. Photo: Thomas Nilsen