International

Satellite images reveal Russian military buildup on NATO's northern flank

While global attention remains fixed on the Ukrainian front lines, the Kremlin is executing a large-scale strategic maneuver on the border with NATO. New satellite imagery confirms that Russia has initiated an accelerated construction of military infrastructure in the Republic of Karelia and the Murmansk region.

According to an investigation by the Finnish national broadcaster Yle, which analyzed satellite footage captured between June 2024 and October 2025, Moscow has moved to reactivate decommissioned military assets abandoned since the early 2000s.

The most significant activity was detected at the Rybka military base in Petrozavodsk (Karelia), located approximately 175 kilometers from the Finnish border. Once considered largely defunct, the site now hosts active construction projects for the new 44th Army Corps.

The base already features a functional airfield and heavy equipment depots. It is positioned to become a critical logistical hub for the newly re-established Leningrad Military District (LMD).

Further north, in the Murmansk region, the expansion is even more aggressive. Just 115 kilometers from Finland, in Kandalaksha, Russia is constructing a rapid-deployment "military hub" for the Luptsche-Savino garrison.

Work began in early 2024 to house two new elite units: an artillery brigade and an engineering brigade. This deployment suggests a shift from a defensive posture to enhanced strike capabilities and mobility within the difficult Arctic terrain.

Experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warn that the 2024 administrative restructuring—which re-established the Leningrad Military District—was the strategic cornerstone for this escalation. Analysts note that Russia is positioning resources to actively contest NATO’s presence in the North.

Vladimir Putin has begun employing the same "justificatory" rhetoric toward Helsinki that preceded the invasion of Ukraine. He has repeatedly accused Finland of undermining Russian security simply by joining the Alliance, a border that stretches 1,340 kilometers.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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