Filed by UPM-Kymmene Corporation
                           Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
                                        and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12
                                                   of the Securities Act of 1934

                             Subject Company: Champion International Corporation
                                                  Commission File No.: 001-03053

                           [UPM-Kymmene Press Release]

         NUMBER OF SHARES OF THE COMBINED COMPANY CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL
                                    WILL BE
                        APPROXIMATELY 472 MILLION SHARES

The  amount  of  fully  diluted  shares  as per 14  February,  2000 of  Champion
International  Corporation was approximately 100 million shares. In case all the
shares are exchanged into UPM-Kymmene  Corporation's ordinary shares, the number
of new shares to be issued in exchange  would be 199 million  shares.  The total
fully  diluted  number  of  the  new  Champion   International  shares  will  be
approximately  472 million.  After the exchange,  UPM-Kymmene  shareholders will
hold 58% of the new company and Champion International shareholders 42%.

Impact of pooling on treasury shares:

To qualify for pooling treatment in conformity with U.S GAAP, UPM-Kymmene should
sell to the market due to repurchases of its own stock  approximately  3 million
ordinary  shares.  These shares have been  included in the above total number of
shares.   UPM-Kymmene's   management  plans  to  propose  to  the  extraordinary
shareholders meeting that the remainder of the UPM-Kymmene shares currently held
in treasury approximately 4.5 million shares be canceled.

Authority to buy back shares:

The authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting on 23 March, 1999 to buy
back  shares  will  expire on 23 March,  2000.  UPM-Kymmene  does not  intend to
utilize the  remaining  authority  to buy back  additional  5.7  million  shares
pursuant to such authorization.

This  press  release  contains  certain  statements  that are  neither  reported
financial  results  nor  other  historical  information.  These  statements  are
forward-looking  statements within the meaning of the safe-harbor  provisions of
the U.S. federal securities laws. These  forward-looking  statements are subject
to risks and uncertainties  that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed in the forward-looking  statements. Many of these risks and
uncertainties  relate to  factors  that are  beyond  the  companies'  ability to
control or estimate precisely, such as future market conditions, the behavior of
other market participants and the actions of governmental regulators.  These and
other risk factors are detailed in the two companies'  SEC reports.  Readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which
speak only as of the date of this press release.  The companies do not undertake
any  obligation  to publicly  release  any  revisions  to these  forward-looking
statements  to  reflect  events or  circumstances  after the date of this  press
release.

Investors   and   security   holders   are  advised  to  read  the  joint  proxy
statement/prospectus  regarding the business combination  transaction referenced
in the foregoing information, when it becomes available, because it will contain
important information.  Such joint proxy statement/prospectus will be filed with
the   Securities   and  Exchange   Commission   by   UPM-Kymmene   and  Champion
International.  Investors  and  security  holders  may obtain a free copy of the
joint proxy statement/  prospectus (when available) and other related  documents
filed by UPM-Kymmene and Champion  International at the Commission's  website at
www.sec.gov.  The joint proxy  statement/prospectus  and the other documents may
also  be  obtained  from  UPM-Kymmene  by  contacting  UPM-Kymmene,  Attn:  Reko
Aalto-Setala,  Etelaesplanadi 2, FIN-00101  Helsinki,  Finland,  and/or Champion
International by contacting Champion International, Attn: Tom Hart, One Champion
Plaza, Stamford, Connecticut 06921.

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UPM-Kymmene Corporation
Corporate Communications
22 February, 2000