The Russian Federation has begun construction of its first completely new military base near Petrozavodsk, close to Finland's eastern border.
Points of attention
- Russia has started building its first completely new military base near Petrozavodsk, close to Finland's eastern border, with a projected capacity for 4,000-6,000 military personnel.
- Experts highlight the strategic implications of the construction, as it forms part of the larger-scale buildup of Russian troops along the entire border with NATO.
Russia is building a new military base near the border with Finland
This was reported by military expert and former Finnish intelligence officer Marco Eklund.
According to experts, the new base in Novaya Vilza, a few kilometers from Petrozavodsk, will be able to accommodate between 4,000 and 6,000 Russian military personnel.
It is noted that active construction of the military camp began in the spring and is progressing at a rapid pace.
About a dozen large barracks buildings are already being built. The scale of the new construction is impressive, especially considering that previously only old military facilities were reconstructed in Petrozavodsk.
Eklund determined the exact location of the construction site based on a Russian document that mentioned connecting the future territory of the military town to the water supply and sewage networks of Petrozavodsk. The cost of the connection work was estimated at almost 5.9 million euros.
In Russia, the construction work became public knowledge just a week ago, when Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Fradkov inspected the site. According to Russian authorities, the construction site will include more than 50 different facilities, including barracks, apartment buildings, and sports fields.
It is noted that the new base is being built in close proximity to Petrozavodsk, as it would be more difficult to attract contract servicemen and their families to remote areas.
At the same time, the future garrison is surrounded by a dense forest, so there is room for further development, and the training grounds are located next to the barracks.
The construction of military facilities in Karelia is just one episode in a large-scale buildup of Russian troops along the entire border with NATO.
The number of combat ground forces (the Russian Federation at the borders of Finland — ed.) is indeed growing significantly, — notes Eklund.
