The Russian Security and Military Research Group includes senior researchers, doctoral students and junior researchers, as well as rotating research assistants and university interns.

The joint professorship between the University of Helsinki and the National Defence University was established in 2017 to facilitate research in Finland on Russian foreign and security policy. The professorship is funded by three foundations: the Mannerheim Foundation, Maanpuolustuksen Kannatussäätiö (National Defence Support Foundation) and Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulun tukisäätiö (National Defence University Support Foundation). Dr. Katri Pynnöniemi was appointed Assistant Professor (tenure track) and holder of the Mannerheim Chair of Russian Security Studies in August 2017.

Russia Research Group regularly employs interns. Our interns work with organizing our Russia seminar, support our current research projects and provide important additional expertise through their own fields of study. Please refer to your university’s JobTeaser portal for open positions and their descriptions.

Simo Pesu

Lt. Col. Simo Pesu is the head of Russia Research Group at the National Defence University. He earned General Staff Officer’s Degree in 2004 and has served as a commissioned officer in the Finnish Defence Forces since 1993. Lt. Col. Pesu’s military experience includes several positions in signals, command and control systems, special forces, military intelligence and strategic research in Finland and abroad. He has also served in crises management and peacekeeping missions in command positions. In recent years, he has been involved with strategic foresight and strategic analysis. His current research interest is in Russian military thought.

Ulla Murtomäki

Cdr. Ulla Murtomäki is a senior researcher in the Russia Research Group at the National Defence University. She earned her General Staff Officer’s Degree in 2013 and has served as a commissioned officer in Finnish Defence Forces since 2001. Commander Murtomäki’s military experience includes several positions in Finnish Defence Intelligence, Navy and crisis management in Finland and abroad. Her current research focuses on Russian Art of War.

Katri Pynnöniemi

Katri Pynnöniemi is a professor at the University of Helsinki (Aleksanteri Institute) and holds a joint Mannerheim Chair of Russian Security Studies at the University of Helsinki and the National Defence University since 2017. She is responsible teacher at the Master’s Programme in Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies; coordinates Ukrainian Studies Programme at the University of Helsinki, a visiting professor at the College of Europe, Natolin (2023-2025); member of the cognitive warfare research group (Matine, 2025-); member of the advisory board of the Slavic Library; Member of the MTS research advisory board; Member of the advisory board of the War and Peace Museum.

Pynnöniemi has published widely on the system change in Russia and on Russian foreign and security policy. Her current research deals with Russia’s strategic thinking, focusing in particular to narratives shaping public perception on Russia’s war against Ukraine, Russian military thought and analysis of military threats.

Juha Kukkola

Maj. Juha Kukkola, D.Mil.Sc., is an associate professor in the Russia Research Group at the National Defence University. He earned the General Staff Officer’s Degree in 2021 and has served as a commissioned officer in the Finnish Defence Forces since 2008. Major Kukkola’s military experience includes positions in air defence, command and control systems, and military education and research (military strategy) in Finland and abroad. His current research focuses on future Russian military art and strategy.

Pentti Forsström

D.Mil.Sc., Lt. Col. (ret.) Pentti Forsström is a senior researcher at the National Defence University. He holds the General Staff Officer’s Degree from the year 1997 and he served in the Finnish Defence Forces until 2017.  Forsström’s military experience includes several positions in military intelligence and strategic research in Finland and five years abroad. In 2009, he graduated from the General Staff Academy of the Russian Armed Forces. During the last two years in active military service, he finalized his doctoral dissertation on the development of Russian military strategy. In 2019, he was appointed as a senior researcher in the Russia Research Group.  His current research interest focuses on Russian military in general and the art of war.

His doctoral dissertation focused on the change of the fundamentals of the Russian Military Strategy: “Venäjän sotilasstrategia muutoksessa. Tulkintoja Venäjän sotilasstrategian perusteiden kehityksestä Neuvostoliiton hajoamisen jälkeen”, 2019 (The Changing Russian Military Strategy. Interpretations on the Development of the Foundation of the Russian Military Strategy after the Collapse of the Soviet Union)

Jonna Alava

Jonna Alava, M.A., is a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki and has been a member of the Russia Research Group at the National Defence University since August 2019. Her article-based dissertation at the University of Helsinki examines military-patriotic education in Russia, focusing on its legitimation, gender dimensions, and the power relations within the system. Alava leads the research project The Evolving Relationship Between the Russian Armed Forces and Society: Short- and Long-Term Effects of the War on Military Development. Her research interests include civil-military relations, military culture, and societal development in Russia

Jukka Viitaniemi

M.Mil.Sc., Maj. (ret.) Jukka Viitaniemi is a senior researcher at the National Defence University. Viitaniemi’s military experience includes several positions in the Finnish Army and in Military Intelligence in Finland and abroad. His current research focuses on Russian Military Strategy.

Mari Puurunen

Mari Puurunen, M.Soc.Sci, works as a researcher in the Russia Research Group. She is currently working in a project focusing on questions related to Russian strategic deterrence and nuclear weapons. Previously she has gained experience working with themes related to information warfare and cognitive security.

Milla Olkkonen

Milla Olkkonen, M.Soc.Sci, works as a researcher in the Russia Research Group. She is currently working in a project focusing on questions related to Russia’s Arctic Policy

Sanna Keränen

Sanna Keränen works as an intern in the Russia Research Group.

OUR STORY

Understanding Russian security and military thinking has deep roots in the Finnish National Defence University’s traditions tracing back to the 18th century. In our work we cooperate and network both within the Finnish research community and with foreign research institutes, as well as individual researchers. The Russia Research Group meets regularly with the Swedish Defence Research Agency’s (FOI) Russian Studies Group, and with researchers working at the CNA, RAND, the FMSO, IRSEM and the NDU of Ukraine. We are always open to building new cooperative relationships as well. The annual Russia Seminar, held at the National Defence University in Santahamina, is our way of providing a forum to share insights on recent research, discuss new research topics and exchange opinions on current affairs.

The origins of the Russia Research Group stem from the National Defence University’s (NDU) strategy workshop, held in 2015. Colonel Kari Nisula, at the time Head of the Department of Warfare, suggested and formulated a proposal to create a research group that would specialize in academic research on Russia, teaching, and engaging with the Finnish and International research communities and the public at large.

Research work began in 2017 with the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Petteri Lalu as military professor, and the assignment of Lieutenant Colonel Juhani Pihlajamaa to the group as a reseracher. By the end of 2018, the group included two special researchers working on their Military Science dissertation projects (Lieutenant Colonel Pentti Forsström and Major Vladimir Panschin), a special researcher (Lieutenant Colonel Simo Pesu) and an assistant professor (Katri Pynnöniemi), holding the Mannerheim Chair of Russian Security Studies. The Russia Research Group also provides opportunities for young researchers. Our university interns are an important part of the team, and we currently have several doctoral researchers under our supervision.

The Russia Research Group researchers have acquired external funding for several research projects. The group’s main, overarching reserach project on Russian Military Security and Armed Forces in the 2040 received significant funding form Jenny & Antti Wihuri Foundation. The ongoing project studying the evolving relationship between the Russian Armed Forces and society also recieved several year funding from Maanpuolustuksen Kannatussäätiö. Additonally, in the past the group acquired funding from Maanpuolustuksen Kannatussäätiö for a Russia-related dissertation project.

FORMER RUSSIA GROUP MEMBERS

Oona-Maaria Hyppölä, M.Soc.Sc, worked as a researcher 09/2023-08/2025 in the Russia Research Group.

Henrik Rantala, B.Soc.Sc, works as an intern 03/2025-08/2025 in the Russia Research Group.

Jenny Lindfros, B.Soc.Sc, worked as an intern 09/2024-02/2025 in the Russia Research Group.

Milla Olkkonen, B.Soc.Sc, worked as an intern 03/2024-09/2024 in the Russia Research Group.

Inka Hjelt, B.Soc.Sc, compeletd her conscript service as a research assistant in the Russia Research Group in spring 2024.

Elisa Movtayeva, M.A. worked as a project researcher in “The Evolving Relationship Between the Russian Armed Forces and Society: Short- and Long-Term Effects of the War on Military Develompent” -project.

Bettina Renz, Professor of International Security at the University of Nottingham, worked as a visiting professor 01/2024-06/2024 at the Deprtment of Warfare in Finnish National Defence University.

Samppo Puranen, Bachelor of Engineering (BE) , worked as an intern 09/2023-12/2023 in the Russia Research Group.

Heikki Lahtinen, M.A., compeletd his conscript service as a research assistant in the Russia Research Group.

Jonna Niskanen, Bachelor of Arts (BA), worked as an intern 2023/3-2023/7 in the Russia Research Group assisting in research and communication.

Santeri Kytöneva, M.Soc.Sc., worked as an intern 2021/9-2022/3 and research assistant 2022/6-2023/6. Is currently working on a PhD at the University of Helsinki.

Markus Kukko, B.Sc. in Economics, completed his conscript service as a research assistant at the Russia Research Group (2022/8 – 2023/3).

Aleksander Malinen, Bachelor of Arts (BA), worked as an intern in the Russia Research Group (2022/8 – 2023/1), assisting in research and communication.

Alexandra Nummenpää, B.Soc.Sc., worked on information retrieval and management to support research and education activities of the National Defence University of Finland (FNDU) during her internship (2022/4–2022/8).

Andreas Turunen, M.A., worked as a research assistant at the Russia Research Group (2021/9–2022/6).

Vladimir Panschin, D.Sc.Mil., Lt. Col., was a senior researcher and a member of the Russia Research Group from 2017 until 2021. Panschin keeps a blog about the activities of the Russian Armed Forces in Finland’s neighbouring areas.

Outi Helin, M.A., M. Soc.Sc., joined the Russia Research Group as an intern in the spring of 2020 (2020/1–2020/6) and continued as a project researcher until the end of the year (2020/7–2020/12).

Mari Puurunen, B.Soc.Sc., was an intern at the Russia Research Group (2021/3–2021/9).