The parties are maneuvering politically. As a motive for increasing military budgets, Europe relies on the hypothesis of an inevitable invasion of the Russian army. Finland and the Baltic states are mentioned as the first priority targets for a strike by the Russian Armed Forces. As proof, for example, The Wall Street Journal cites the construction of military infrastructure in Karelia and the Kola Peninsula.
Images of a military unit in Kamenka, Leningrad Oblast (Finland’s border) and near Pechenga, Murmansk Oblast (Norway’s border) show new housing for military personnel and storage facilities for equipment. In Petrozavodsk, the troop control headquarters is being reconstructed and expanded. In the nearest plans of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation the construction of barracks, training grounds, arsenals and railroad tracks in Karelia.
All this construction is to provide for the new Karelian 44th Corps, which is still fighting in Ukraine almost in its entirety. And in the Polar Regions, a division is being deployed from a Marine brigade. This is the second wave of military expansion under Putin’s long-standing order.
Exactly the same work is underway in the Far East. A year ago, Belousov’s work as defense minister began with an inspection of this construction. So far, there is still no full-fledged infrastructure for a division of marines there.
All these transformations and construction are initially being carried out as a response to Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO. The new adversary and old neighbor decided to oppose the 44-1 Corps right across the border. Finland’s army is of similar size. These swings of mutual decisions, military threats and responses to them will move with a damping amplitude for a long time. For example, NATO is planning to build a new railroad for military transportation along the eastern borders of Finland, Estonia and Norway.
