New satellite images show what Russia is doing near Finland

Vesa Virtanen, head of the Finnish Defense Command, has expressed concern over satellite images showing an increase in Russian military infrastructure construction along the border, according to Norwegian media outlet Dagbladet.

The photos, taken by the American company Planet Labs PBC, show an increase in Moscow’s belligerence toward NATO territories and its desire to expand its “land power,” according to sources from the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NISS).

“We see that Russia is building new infrastructure and preparing for troop movements into the region,” Virtanen said.

Finnish analyst and Black Bird contributor Emil Kastehelmi has noticed increased activity at some Russian military bases along the Finnish border, two of which are located near the Norwegian border.

“This is a sign of increased activity,” Emil said in an interview with SVT Nyheter.

Increased traffic of military vehicles

The Finnish analyst has studied images of the Russian air bases of Severomorsk-1 and Severomorsk-2. While the former does not appear to have undergone major changes, the photo of Severomorsk-2, a military facility inaugurated in 1998, shows a small group of helicopters stationed on the runway.

“It’s probably not possible to use combat aircraft at the base yet; it needs further renovation, but I suppose the goal is to make it fully operational,” he argues.

The appearance of new vehicles appears to be in response to the 2022 announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defense that the country had plans to build two new runways for military use in the north, as well as to modernize seven others, including the one at Severomorsk, located in the Murmansk region.

New Military Infrastructure

According to Western intelligence sources, the Kremlin’s priority objectives include the construction of a new headquarters at the Petrozavodsk military base, located 175 kilometers from the Finnish border, where three new storage buildings have appeared in just over two years.

Likewise, the Sputnik military base, located a few kilometers from the border with Finland and Norway, also appears to have undergone an expansion of its storage facilities, and the Kamenka military base, a border facility with Finland, now has 130 new tents.

“This indicates a growing need for accommodation for a larger number of soldiers and for military activity in general,” Emil says.

Impact of the Ukraine War on Russian Plans

However, although many international analysts believe this increase is a response to Russia’s future desire to attack various NATO countries, it is unlikely that the Kremlin will achieve this goal.

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The war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, is severely limiting Russia’s ability to strengthen its ground presence due to its incredible manpower and funding requirements, making a major strategic ground force exercise in 2025 unlikely.

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