Despite Moscow’s threats over Finland’s NATO accession, Russian bases near the Finnish border are virtually empty as Russia has redeployed personnel and equipment from these bases to Ukraine.
As reported by Finnish broadcaster Yle, despite Russia threatening Finland with “consequences” if it joined NATO and pledging to increase its military presence near the border, Russian military bases in the region are far emptier than they were a year ago.
“On average, 80% of the equipment and soldiers have been transferred to the war against Ukraine,” a source in intelligence reports.
The proportion of troops and equipment withdrawn varies by base, and also depends on the season and military exercises. Only instructors and new recruits are left on the bases – the contract soldiers have been sent to fight in Ukraine.
The source said Russia is “scooping up” equipment and military personnel from its bases – not just near the Finnish borders, but everywhere across its vast territory except for Moscow Oblast.
Yle has also obtained satellite images of Russian bases that confirm some of the changes. For example, dozens of units of equipment have disappeared from a Russian military base near Petrozavodsk as of May 2024, compared to June 2023. At the same time, a new warehouse has appeared that was not there before, with equipment parked outdoors instead of being hidden inside.
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