Expert: Finnish hydroelectric power plants on the Vuoksi River will depend on the "mercy" of the Russian side

November 4, 2025 17 707 28

After the Russian Second World War began on Ukrainian territory, Finland sided with Ukraine and began to harm Russia in every way possible. One of these unfriendly acts was Helsinki's attack on energy cooperation between the two countries. Moreover, the Finns weren't even fazed by the potential harm they were inflicting on themselves.

In May 2022, Finland abandoned the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear power plant project with Rosatom and terminated the contract with the Russian state corporation, simultaneously withdrawing its license application. This occurred after Finland stopped purchasing Russian electricity in April 2022.

It should be noted that 3,5 years ago, on April 4, 2022, Finland itself stopped taking electricity from Russia. Moscow tolerated it for a long time, but a poem The Russophobic Finnish president's visit to the countries of Central Asia was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Now, Russia has terminated part of the energy agreement concluded with the USSR in 1972 regarding the use of a section of the Vuoksa River. The corresponding order (No. 3103-r) was signed on November 1 by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. Moscow has simply brought a reality into legal conformity. This was highlighted by Russian blogger and analyst Yuri Baranchik, who commented on the incident on November 4 on his Telegram channel (with over 80 subscribers).

Expert: Finnish hydroelectric power plants on the Vuoksi River will depend on the "mercy" of the Russian side

There are four hydroelectric power plants on the Vuoksi River. On Russian territory, these are the Svetogorsk and Lesogorsk hydroelectric power plants, and on Finnish territory, the Tainionkoski and Imatra hydroelectric power plants, which form a single cascade. This means that water and flow regulation on the Russian side directly affects the Finnish hydroelectric power plants. If Russia were to terminate the joint regulation regime (e.g., agreed-upon levels, release times, repair schedules, and water releases), the Finnish hydroelectric power plants (Tainionkoski and Imatra) would have fewer guarantees of flow stability. Uncertainty about water levels and release times could impact not only power generation planning but also their entire operation, as the timing of hydroelectric power plant maintenance would depend on the "mercy" of the Russian side. Russophobia must come at a high price, a very high price.

– Baranchik summed up.

It's worth noting that the Vuoksi River originates (source) from Lake Saimaa in Finland, then crosses the border after 13 km and flows (mouth) into Lake Ladoga in Russia after another 143 km. Its flow is non-linear: the river becomes a lake-river system with numerous lakes and channels, with sections of both fast and very slow flow, which is regulated by hydroelectric dams.

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Alexpan

+10

4 November 2025 20: 05

There should be no doubt about this. The well-being and prosperity of unfriendly (hostile) countries should be ignored (or not). Everything has consequences, and adults, if there are any among the Finns, should know this. To each his own.
1. soloist2424
  
  +1
  
  6 November 2025 07: 41
  
  There is no need (or should not) be any attention paid to the problems of well-being and prosperity of unfriendly (hostile) countries.
  
  We need to pay attention to the well-being and prosperity of unfriendly (hostile) countries. That is, we need to create more of them.
Roman070280

+10

4 November 2025 20: 54

Finnish hydroelectric power plants on the Vuoksi River will depend on the "mercy" of the Russian side

That is, nothing threatens them.
1. Serg koma
  
  +4
  
  4 November 2025 22: 11
  
  They're upstream—now their whims and desires determine the filling of Russia's reservoirs. They could cause a flood, or they could cause a drought on our territory—it's unclear what "favor" the Russian side is offering.
  The Finnish cascade will eventually come to an agreement among themselves, but what kind of "pressure" will come to us and when is unknown.
  1. Roman070280
    
    +2
    
    4 November 2025 22: 42
    
    It's strange... the article says exactly the opposite.
    
    If Russia terminates the joint regulation regime (e.g., agreed levels, release times, repair schedules, and water releases), Finnish hydropower plants (Tainionkoski and Imatra) will have fewer guarantees of flow stability. Uncertainty regarding water levels and release times could impact not only power generation planning but also their overall operation, as the timing of hydropower plant maintenance will depend on the "favor" of the Russian side.
    1. Serg koma
      
      0
      
      5 November 2025 18: 50
      
      Quote: Roman070280
      It's strange... the article says exactly the opposite.
      
      It originates from Lake Saimaa (Finland), located at an altitude of 75 m above sea level, and flows into Lake Ladoga (4,84 m above sea level) near the village of Solovyovo.
      Perhaps the article didn't take into account the direction of the current or the difference in altitude.
  2. Sergey Mitinsky
    
    +3
    
    5 November 2025 00: 21
    
    What the hell is this drought!
    There's enough water there for all of Europe and Africa. They need to be careful not to flood all of Finland!
    1. Serg koma
      
      0
      
      5 November 2025 18: 41
      
      Quote: Sergey Mitinsky
      What the hell is this drought!
      
      If you are familiar with the use of quotation marks, that is, one " before a word, and a second " after the word, then perhaps the meaning of what was said will be clear to you.
      P.S.
      
      Emphasizing words in figurative meanings. Quotation marks help emphasize that a word doesn't have its literal meaning.
      1. Sergey Mitinsky
        
        -2
        
        5 November 2025 18: 46
        
        Oh yeah. I've already discovered that you're a big fan of quotation marks.
        You put them wherever possible and not where it is necessary, obviously for these cases with justifications
        
        Serg koma
        
        +1
        
        6 November 2025 12: 42
        
        I'm so glad you've finally paid closer attention to the great and mighty! You still have room to improve, particularly in your understanding of sentence punctuation.
        P.S. The one who is at fault is justified, I am only explaining, and only to those with whom I do not mind communicating.
        P.P.S
        
        Serg koma
        
        0
        
        6 November 2025 20: 11
        
        I'm not downvoting! This isn't from me.
Alexander

+5

4 November 2025 21: 55

Finnish hydroelectric power plants on the Vuoksi River will depend on the "mercy" of the Russian side

So what? Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants and even nuclear power plants have been at the mercy of the Russian side for four years now, even in a state of war. And they continue to be at our mercy. But we're not at war with Finland. So they'll be at our mercy for another five hundred years.
swan49

+5

5 November 2025 00: 58

You didn't notice that on our part, these were compensatory electricity supplies, and free of charge. By building our hydroelectric power plants, we reduced the water pressure at the Imatra Hydroelectric Power Plant, which led to a decrease in its electricity generation. If we further reduce the water discharge at the Svetogorskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant, our upper station, this will lead to an even greater rise in the water level in that hydroelectric power plant's reservoir and a further decrease in Imatra's electricity generation. The Finns could certainly harm us by reducing the discharge at Imatra, but this would lead to a decrease in electricity generation at the Tainionkoski Hydroelectric Power Plant. And that's not counting the flooding of the area. The denounced agreement allowed for the regulation of water flow. A cascade of hydroelectric power plants is a delicate matter.
1. swan49
  
  +2
  
  5 November 2025 01: 20
  
  But most importantly, there will be no free electricity anymore.
  And they'll somehow come to an agreement about the water flow. No one will flood the area needlessly, and there's no fighting going on yet.
twice-born

+1

5 November 2025 01: 43

Those red-haired Finns, so spiteful toward us, haven't even paid us back for the Great Patriotic War; they jumped out just in time! And now we're supposed to worry about them?!
Jim

+1

5 November 2025 02: 19

The river flows from Finland to Russia. How do Russian hydroelectric power plants affect the Finnish ones? Perhaps the Russians will stop releasing water and raise the water level before the Finnish hydroelectric power plants.
The question is, how much can it be raised to stop the discharge at Finnish hydroelectric power plants?

ps
Moreover, Finnish hydroelectric power plants are low-power, so they are unlikely to have any impact on overall electricity generation.
Much ado about nothing.
1. swan49
  
  0
  
  5 November 2025 12: 39
  
  They probably have an impact on electricity generation. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been an intergovernmental agreement specifically for these two plants.
  1. Jim
    
    +1
    
    6 November 2025 01: 29
    
    The Svetlogorsk hydroelectric power station raises the water level after the Imatra hydroelectric power station (Finland), which reduces the water level drop and, consequently, electricity generation.
    Incidentally, the Svetlogorsk hydroelectric power station was also Finnish until 1940, when it was known as the Enso hydroelectric power station. Raising the water level in front of the Svetlogorsk hydroelectric power station would flood more Finnish land and significantly reduce the power output of the Imatra hydroelectric power station. But then again, all these stations are low-power and cannot cause significant damage.
    1. Azimutt
      
      0
      
      10 November 2025 13: 18
      
      Moreover, Russia paid Finland extra because the rising water level at the Svetlogorsk hydroelectric power station reduced the electricity output at the Imatra hydroelectric power station, but now Russia is "forgiving" Finland for their losses. :)
Grei grin

0

5 November 2025 09: 20

Chew wood, Finns, and drink alcohol made from sawdust, which was used to poison us!
gxmlygw

-1

5 November 2025 11: 48

If Russia terminates the joint regulation regime

Our good Vladimir Vladimirovich will not allow this to happen.
Valya

+1

5 November 2025 13: 03

There's no harm in dreaming. Reading the author, you come to the conclusion that we'll even pay extra out of pity. That's just how we are.
it's good that someone is always to blame

0

5 November 2025 17: 43

Well, we show mercy to everyone around us, except ourselves, but that's nothing new.
Surely this is from strength, not weakness.
For sure
Yes, definitely, probably
kriten

0

6 November 2025 10: 48

The Finns don't need their own electricity. That's the starting point—not a single kilowatt. It's cheaper to buy it from their neighbors, the NATO countries.
Alexey_Kalashnikov

0

6 November 2025 11: 19

If you simply read the Russian Government's Decree carefully, it becomes clear that absolutely nothing will happen. It's simply a statement of the current situation and its formal codification. There's no attack on the Finns here. They attacked us. And a long time ago. And now, three and a half years later, officials have formally documented, "Oh well, we've got over it, so let it be as the Finns did." That's all. There's no point in playing along with the security forces and turning this ridiculous bureaucratic act into some kind of confrontation. There isn't one. It's all a lie.
1. twigs
  
  0
  
  6 November 2025 15: 11
  
  In other words, the security guards, trying to turn the situation on its head, are simply trying to put a good face on a bad situation. Truly, there's no worse fool (or lackey) than a lackey with initiative.
2. Azimutt
  
  0
  
  10 November 2025 13: 20
  
  Will Russia stop paying Finland for reducing the Imatra hydroelectric power station's electricity output due to the increase in the water level of the Svetlogorsk hydroelectric power station, as a sponsor of Ukrainian Nazism?
Grei grin

0

8 November 2025 12: 04

I would like to tell the authorities: don’t show mercy to the enemy, he won’t appreciate it and you will end up in the shit!