In an odd post-battle inquiry, Finland wants to know whether Russia, in its August conflict with Georgia, used Finnish camouflage, military officials say.

Studying pictures taken in Georgia, Finnish authorities are trying to determine whether Russian armed forces were wearing M/05, a pattern that is based on digital photographs of Finnish forests and legally protected in the European Union.

A spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry flatly denied copying the Finnish pattern.

"None of us uses the M/05 camouflage for their uniforms," a ministry spokesman said. "No one wears it. Our quartermasters haven't heard of it. It seems that the Finns simply wanted to publicize their product and came up with this story."