Russia is establishing military bases near the border with Finland after a long hiatus. This information was reported by Finland's largest television and radio company, Yle, based on satellite image analysis of the Alakurtti military base in the southwestern part of the Murmansk region and a military depot in Petrozavodsk.
The images of Alakurtti clearly show new structures, including hangars for equipment storage. A military expert consulted by the journalists explained that each of the new hangars (there are three in total) covers an area of 2,500 square meters and can accommodate up to 40 armored vehicles, effectively supporting one battalion.
In the tank and artillery depot in Petrozavodsk, which is near the Finnish border, experts also identified one new building.
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It is noted that the new hangars will be used not only to strengthen the military units guarding the border but also for repairing equipment and sending it to the front lines in Ukraine.
According to a number of Finnish military experts, as long as the full-scale war continues in Ukraine, Russia may not have the necessary manpower and equipment to implement Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's plans to bolster forces on the border with Finland. Shoigu had mentioned such plans twice, in December of the previous year and in August of the current year.
In early April, Finland officially became a member of NATO. The application from the country, which had maintained neutrality, to join the military alliance was submitted in May 2022 in the wake of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. The Finnish authorities stated that their decision was based on security considerations, as the country shares a lengthy border with Russia, spanning over 1300 kilometers. Russian authorities announced that in response to Finland's NATO accession, they would take measures of both "military-technical and other nature."
