Russia is expanding military bases along the border with Finland

Earlier this year, Moscow threatened “countermeasures” against NATO when Finland became the 31st member of the Western alliance

Russia began expand military bases along its border with Finland, according to new satellite imagery, as it seeks to bolster supply lines with tanks and heavy artillery for the war in Ukraine.

Three large buildings have been built at the Alakurtti military base, about 50 miles from border, which was the first signs of development of this place in recent years.

Satellite images published by Finland's national broadcaster showed construction of another military depot at a tank and artillery depot in Petrozavodsk, about 108 miles from the border.

It comes after Moscow threatened “countermeasures” against NATO when Finland became a Western alliance country. 31st member country.

Finland's membership nearly doubles NATO's border with Russia, adding 833 miles of border, close to where Russian military bases house the world's largest concentration of nuclear weapons.

Satellite imagery shows three new storage sites in base at Alakurtti, which normally houses Russia's 80th Independent Arctic Motorized Rifle Brigade.

Each of the buildings was raised from foundation to full height in one day, according to a comparison of images taken late last year. year and only the last month.

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Major Marko Eklund, a retired Finnish military operative, said the halls, which are about 100 meters long and 25 meters wide, could accommodate up to 40 armored vehicles to support a battalion.

Russia did it. stationed about 2,000 troops at the Alakurtti base, but most of its forces in the area were deployed to fight in Ukraine.

Significant losses 

The force, trained to fight in the cold and dark Arctic conditions, allegedly suffered heavy casualties during invasion.

In June it was reported that Ukrainian troops attacked a brigade command post near the front line.

It is unknown whether Russia will increase the number of troops stationed in the region, but NATO representatives are confident of this. It could take Moscow years to build a force capable of a cross-border offensive.

Separate images show the construction of a large new warehouse among artillery guns and tanks stored in Petrozavodsk, the site of Russia's largest concentration of military equipment near the border with Finland.

The kit stored at the site is enough to equip at least one motorized brigade of 4,000 Russian soldiers.

Major Eklund told Yle that the new building could accommodate 50 armored vehicles, but most likely it would be used for repairs and delivery of equipment to Moscow forces in Ukraine. .

Most of the equipment there is gathering dust, having stood at the base since the units were disbanded in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

There are Russian losses, however. was so significant in Ukraine that its military was forced to turn to deep storage depots such as Petrozavodsk to re-equip its forces.

Satellite images taken in July showed 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers that were first manufactured in 1967 and loaded onto trains.

The number of artillery units stationed in Petrozavodsk has been steadily declining, according to Major Eklund, who reported that more than 100 howitzers have been sent to the front lines since the start of the war in Ukraine. war.