Russia is building up military infrastructure near the border with Finland, which may indicate preparations for a potential confrontation with NATO.
This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing satellite images and open sources.
Russian military buildup near Finland: what is known
ISW analysts drew attention to satellite images released by the Finnish television company Yle.
In particular, active construction has been recorded at the Russian Rybka military base in Petrozavodsk, located approximately 175 kilometres from the Finnish border.
The territory, which has been virtually unused since the early 2000s, is currently being prepared to house the 44th Army Corps of the Leningrad Military District.
In addition, Russia is building a new military town in Kandalaksha, Murmansk Oblast, less than 120 km from the border with Finland.
According to ISW, they plan to station a new artillery and engineering brigade there.
The Institute for the Study of War notes that these steps are part of a broader reorganisation of the Russian Armed Forces, including the division of the Western Military District and the strengthening of the command in the northern direction.
Analysts also recall that they have previously recorded the expansion of Russian military infrastructure along the Finnish border.
In 2024, the Russian Federation restructured the Western Military District, creating the Leningrad and Moscow Military Districts, likely to strengthen strategic control and counter NATO.
ISW notes that Russian officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, have previously publicly threatened Finland, using rhetoric similar to that used by the Kremlin to justify its invasion of Ukraine.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, while serving as head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, previously stated that the key task of Russia’s rearmament programme is to prepare for war with NATO by 2030.
According to him, this is precisely what the main actions and budgets of the Russian Federation are aimed at within the framework of long-term military planning.
Факти
