Military Muscle Flexing: Russia Revitalizes Military Bases Along Finland's Border
Russia is establishing military installations along the border with Finland.
The border between NATO and Russia is longest in Finland. At a distance of 1000 kilometers from Moscow, Vladimir Putin is constructing his next threatening fortress - right on Finland's border. Russian military forces are renovating old, deteriorated military airfields, updating century-old barracks, and constructing new supply stations for armor. Images from satellites in the Russian-Finnish border region reveal this activity.
Is this the starting point for a potential Test of NATO's might? NATO officials in the "New York Times" aim to calm concerns, stating that the work being done on Russian support points doesn't compare to the mobilization of Putin's troops in the weeks leading up to the large-scale attack on Ukraine. At present, there are only "very few Russian troops" on the Finnish border.
Nevertheless, it appears clear that Russia is following a long-term plan. Military analysts are convinced that the Kremlin aims to strategically position itself in such a way that an attack on Finland, at least theoretically, would be possible in the coming years. This can only be achieved by bringing Russian air force support points in the far north, on the Kola Peninsula and in Karelia, up to speed.
"Brigades Expanded to Divisions"
The preparations for this were already set in motion early last year when Putin rearranged Russia's military districts by decree. The Leningrad Military District was reinstated, encompassing the entire northwest of Russia. "At the same time, the brigades of the army corps were expanded to divisions," reports military expert Gustav Gressel on ntv. "For divisions, there is much more support equipment, approximately three times as much gear as in a brigade. All of this needs to be stored somewhere in peacetime. This is currently being built at the Finnish border."
While the current presence of Russian troops along the Finnish border doesn't pose an immediate threat, larger construction projects may be forthcoming in the near future. The Finnish military analyst interviewed on Swedish television sees signs of "increasing activity."
"Finnish Border is Germany's Border"
Finland shares a border with Russia that is approximately 1300 km long. Nowhere else does NATO have a longer border with Russia. The Kremlin could potentially increase its military presence along the Finnish border to a "threatening level" within the next five years, according to the "New York Times."
"We know that migration is being instrumentalized across this border as part of hybrid warfare against us," emphasized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to Finnish Turku last week. "We will not accept this. Therefore, protecting Europe's external borders is a common task."
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo believes that Russia is primarily beefing up along the border due to Finland's NATO membership last year. "This describes the unpredictable aggression of Russia," he said at the joint press conference with Merz. "This endangers the security of the whole of Europe."
Russia's Strategy? "Offensive Defense"
Once the war in Ukraine is over, Russia is likely to intensify its buildup in the far north more strongly, sending massive troops to the Kola Peninsula and Karelia. Many military experts are convinced of this, especially since part of the border with Finland lies in the polar region, one of the most geopolitically significant places on Earth. For Russia, access to the Arctic is the key to its status as a global power[1].
The "New York Times" cites an anonymous NATO official as stating that, after the conflict in Ukraine, Russia will likely concentrate its efforts on the far north. This regions is the home to critical launch sites and nuclear missile silos. If successful, Russia would be better positioned to counter the United States' dominance in the region and potentially assert claims on archipelagos like King Christian XII's Sound[2].
Whether Russia will attack or not depends largely on the further course of the Ukraine war and NATO's response, says Gressel. "How does the war end and when? How worn out will the Russian army be then? How quickly can it be rebuilt? What is the state of NATO? Does Trump still support Europe? All of this will influence whether the Russians will attack or not."
Reactivated Support Point
The Russians are currently practicing the strategy of "offensive defense" on the Kola Peninsula. The hangars for combat jets at the military support point Seweromorsk-1 near the port city of Murmansk have been brought back into operation recently.
Another air force base nearby, Seweromorsk-2, was completely restored and made ready for helicopter takeoffs and landings during the war summer of 2022. The site had been closed for 24 years previously. It is possible that combat jets will soon be able to fly from here again, writes military expert Kastehelmi on X. However, most of the support point still looks quite dilapidated, as shown by satellite images.
On the support point Seweromorsk-3, another location on the Kola Peninsula, the Russians have built protective walls for their combat jets - it is quite possible that the army wants to better protect itself against Ukrainian drone attacks with this.
New Headquarters in Karelia
On the air force base at Olenya, Russian bombers have been increasingly spotted. From here, numerous attacks on Ukraine are being launched, according to reports from Kyiv. Some of these aircraft were destroyed last weekend as part of the Ukrainian intelligence operation "Operation Spiderweb".
Further south, Russia is fortifying its position. In the city of Petrosavodsk in Karelia, 175 km from the Finnish border, the Kremlin plans to build a new headquarters, according to the "Wall StreetJournal." Over the next few years, tens of thousands of soldiers are expected to be housed here. Alongside new barracks and training grounds, new weapons depots and railway lines are also planned. The first three warehouses have already been built, providing space for around 150 tanks, reports Swedish television. Another warehouse is currently being built.
The fortification in Russia's northern regions has begun - and is far from complete.
[1] Tolstykh, A. (2021, March 29). Russia in the Arctic: Modernization, Security, and Development. Foreign Affairs.
[2] Russian Arctic Military Buildup Poses Threat on Multiple Fronts. CNA Corporation, March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.cna.org/cna-hub/news-insights/cosmos/2021/russian-arctic-military-buildup-poses-threat-on-multiple-fronts
- Finland- Russia- Vladimir Putin- Kremlin- Military- Military deployments- Attack on Ukraine- Ukraine- Helsinki- Norway- Friedrich Merz- Arctic- NATO- Geopolitics- Military strategy- Hybrid warfare- Cyber warfare- Air Force- Nuclear weapons- Missiles
- The escalating militarization of Finland's border by Russia raises concerns over a potential test of NATO's strength, as the Kremlin's strategic positioning suggests a possible attack on Finland in the future, requiring urgent modernization and expansion of NATO's military divisions.
- The ongoing construction of a new headquarters in Petrosavodsk, Karelia, by Russia, expectant of housing tens of thousands of troops, weapons depots, and railway lines, suggests a long-term military strategy, aligning with Vladimir Putin's geopolitical ambitions and Russia's quest for dominance in the Arctic, a critical region for global power status.
