Finnish Defence Ministry sign in Kasarmitori, Helsinki. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
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The Finnish Defence Ministry has denied a request by an Israeli national to purchase a defunct petrol station in Haukivuori, Mikkeli, citing national security risks and unclear business motives.
The property, known as Harjun Helmi, has stood vacant since its closure in 2022 following bankruptcy. It includes a cafe and disused petrol station building, while fuel pumps on the site are operated under lease by a separate company.
The Defence Ministry announced on Wednesday that it had blocked the sale based on legislation governing foreign ownership of properties considered relevant to national defence. The ministry assessed that the buyer had no prior connections to Finland, nor any ties to the Mikkeli area.
According to the ministry, the purchaser lacked experience in the petrol station or service industry and provided a business plan containing inconsistencies. Officials said these factors raised doubts about the credibility of the proposed use of the property.
The ministry also cited concerns about the buyer’s possible links to Russia.
“It cannot be ruled out that the property would be used in a manner that endangers national security,” the decision stated.
The Israeli buyer had made contact through representatives last autumn, according to estate agent Mirja Paasisalo, who was managing the sale on behalf of the bankruptcy estate. She said the group visited the site and took photographs, but did not speak English. Communication was conducted using a translation app.
Paasisalo confirmed that she learned of the cancellation from the seller, not directly from the Defence Ministry.
The ministry did not publicly identify the prospective buyer.
Mikkeli is of growing strategic importance. A Nato headquarters is currently being established in the area, and dozens of officers are expected to be stationed there by the end of the year.
The denial is part of Finland’s broader efforts to scrutinise foreign property acquisitions near critical infrastructure and sensitive military locations, particularly amid heightened tensions with Russia. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia and became a member of Nato in April 2023.
This is not the first time Finland has blocked a foreign land deal. Several similar cases have been denied since 2020 under legislation that grants the Defence Ministry authority to intervene in non-EU real estate purchases deemed to pose risks to national security.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
