Russia accelerated construction work on military infrastructure at the border with Finland. The impulse to do so was to join NATO. Moscow modernizes airports, repairs barracks and expands logistics facilities. Helsinki responds to Russian actions, strengthening its own defenses.
Illustration picture. Patrol on the Finnish border.
The Finnish media, based on satellite images, points to an unprecedented scale of work. Analysts of the U.S. Institute of War Studies conclude that the Russians are talking about a permanent military presence in the region, not a one-time exercise.
Actions scheduled for years
The list of places regularly indicated by analysts includes primarily airports and air bases in north-western Russia. In areas specified as Kamenka, Petrozawodsk, Siewieromorsk-2 or Olenia, work is being carried out on the construction or restoration of warehouses, maintenance of parking plates and hangars, as well as the expansion of railway and road infrastructure. In parallel, social facilities are being created for military personnel. It is simply a set of actions that not only improves the conditions of stationing, but above all increases the sustainable mobilisation possible of forces deployed in the region.
Media reports and intelligence analyses combine these investments with the restoration and expansion of the linear structures of Russian land troops in the northern direction. It indicates, among others, the activity of recently formed units in Karelia and preparations for the deployment of elements of the 44th Army Corps. According to local sources Petrozavodsk is to service as 1 of the main points of concentration of personnel and equipment.
Defense and deterrence
The acceleration of the modernisation of military infrastructure in north-western Russia is linked to Helsinki's decision to join the North Atlantic Alliance. Finland formally entered NATO In the spring of 2023, which importantly changed the safety arrangement in northern Europe. For the first time in past Russia found itself in the immediate vicinity of NATO on specified a long land long of the border, over 1,300 kilometres.
From the position of the Kremlin, this means adapting the infrastructure and military safety strategy to fresh strategical realities. The expansion of the base in the northern direction is intended to increase the capacity for fast deployment of forces, improve logistical support for aviation and anti-aircraft defence, while at the same time acting as a deterrent to Finland and another NATO countries. Analysts point out that these are actions scheduled for years, which are part of a long-term process of modernisation, not a signal of preparation for direct short-term military escalation.
The Finnish authorities stress that they closely monitor Russian military activities in the region, but do not measure them as a direct and immediate threat to State security. At the same time, Helsinki systematically strengthens its own defence capabilities – from the expansion of border infrastructure and monitoring systems to the raising of reserve preparedness and deepening military cooperation with allies. As noted by Finnish decision-makers, these are defensive and dissuasive actions.
Neighbor and threat
Russian-Finnish relations have been burdened with the experience of armed conflicts for decades. The 1939–1940 winter war and the 1941–1944 follow-up war were permanently recorded in Finnish historical memory and shaped Russia's perception as a neighbour and possible threat. After planet War II, Finland took a course of strict, although formally sovereign neutrality – later known as "finlandisation" – trying to keep political independency while maintaining appropriate relations with Moscow.
After the dissolution of the russian Union, relations between the 2 countries were normalized and for years were based mainly on economical cooperation and pragmatic political dialogue. However, the situation began to change after 2014, and a major breakthrough brought a Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was she who accelerated the debate on safety guarantees in Finland and led to the decision to join NATO – a step which marks a permanent departure from the military neutrality policy.
