The first two turns go well for the Russian player. His troops roll forward everywhere. All his attacks gain favourable column shifts and every thing is set fair. Also, a major part of the Finns forces convert from leg mobile to skis. They move favourably across country and get to move in the Finnish reaction phase, sandwiched between the Russian combat and exploitation phases.
Skis are the small Finnish army's great equaliser.
To help even the balance further, the Finns have leader counters that earn column shifts on both attack and defense. The Russian player, despite his strength, has an uphill struggle. Finnish troops on skis can prove quite elusive. His footsloggers are too slow and his mechanical forces best not leave the roads. The terrain favours the defender and the CRT is quite bloody for the Attacker, especially at the lower odds.