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Russia is expanding its military presence near the border with Finland, with analysts and officials not ruling out the possibility of preparing for a possible conflict with NATO in the future.
This was reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Specifically, Moscow's moves include expanding military bases near the Russian city of Petrozavodsk, about 160 kilometers east of Finland, the planned location for a new headquarters that could potentially command tens of thousands of troops.
Western military and officials are reportedly warning that these units could form the "backbone" of Russian forces preparing to confront NATO. Since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, NATO officials have increasingly warned that Moscow could attack alliance members in the coming years.
Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, has accused Moscow of increasing hybrid operations against the Scandinavian country since it joined NATO in 2023. The Russian military is currently heavily engaged in Ukraine. This has forced Moscow to redeploy forces from other regions in recent years, with most of the Russian ground units previously stationed near Finland being sent to Ukraine.
Christopher Cavoli, the commander of U.S. forces in Europe, warned earlier this month that Russia is rebuilding its forces much faster than previously expected. “Despite numerous battlefield losses in Ukraine, the Russian military is regrouping and developing at a faster pace than most analysts expected,” Cavoli told a U.S. Senate committee.
According to the general, the US expects Russia to produce 250,000 artillery shells per month, which could help it create a stockpile three times larger than the US and Europe combined.
A conflict with NATO is coming.
“When the troops return from Ukraine, they will look across the border to a country they consider an adversary,” said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a Moscow-based defense think tank. “The logic of the last decade shows that we expect a conflict with NATO.”
It is noted that Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov stated last December that Russia must be ready for a possible conflict with NATO in the next 10 years.
Moscow has also issued a series of veiled and overt threats to the West for its support for Kiev, including warnings of a possible nuclear response.
NATO countries close to Russia have stepped up their preparations for a potential conflict recently. Poland and the Baltic states have abandoned a treaty banning landmines and are increasing their presence on their borders with Russia and its ally Belarus, while calling for higher defense spending across the alliance. / Adapted Pamphlet/
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