Russia is developing its military infrastructure and conducting...
Emil Kastehelmi@emilkastehelmi
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May 02, 2025
~3 min read
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Russia is developing its military infrastructure and conducting organizational reforms near Nato’s northern flank, especially near Finland. News agencies from different countries have asked me about the topic, and in this thread I will share some recent observations. 1/
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Firstly, a brief overview of the organisational level. In 2024, Russia reestablished the Leningrad Military District (LMD) as a part of a larger reform of the military districts. The LMD covers the north-western Russia, including Baltic and arctic directions. 2/
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At the same time, Russia is expanding its existing brigades into divisions and bringing entirely new troops into Finland's neighboring regions. For example, the 138th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade from Kamenka was recently transformed into the 69th Motor Rifle Division. 3/
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Changes in organizations mean that tens of thousands of new soldiers will be deployed in the regions surrounding Finland in the coming years. This also means that major infrastructure projects will likely begin in the near future in Karelia and Petsamo, among other areas. 4/
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There are already signs of what is to come. Firstly, in Kamenka, there has been a need for more accommodation space. In the spring of 2024, the Russians erected over 140 tents in the training grounds and constructed an earth wall around them. The tents are still there. 5/
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This indicates the Russians needed a temporary solution for a growing number of soldiers and military activity, which exceeds Kamenka’s normal capacity. This is likely not due to a singular big exercise. No large construction projects have been observed near the base yet. 6/
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In the future, the 44th Army Corps or elements of it will possibly be stationed in the Petrozavodsk region. However, currently massive construction projects don’t seem to be underway, only the storage site near Petrozavodsk has seen some improvement. 7/
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The new halls serve two purposes. They shelter the vehicles and equipment from the weather, but they also make it more difficult for adversaries to gather intelligence of such places, as the amount of equipment in these halls e can only be estimated, not precisely counted. 8/
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Even though the Russians have moved some equipment from the Petrozavodsk storage site during the full-scale invasion, it’s far from empty.
Similar halls have also been constructed a bit further north, in Alakurtti, home for the 80th Separate Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade. 9/
Similar halls have also been constructed a bit further north, in Alakurtti, home for the 80th Separate Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade. 9/
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Generally, there’s been limited changes in the infrastructure of the army bases near Finland and Norway during 2022-25, but I expect to see more - if not this summer, then the next one. The reforms start at organizational level, and construction projects will follow. 10/
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Other recent changes are related to, for example, singular buildings or fortifications for training purposes. Some new trenches have been dug here and there, most likely because the war in Ukraine has shown how much of the war is being fought in fortifications. 11/
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In the next thread I will go through some of the most recent changes in the northern air bases. There have been some surprising developments too. Me and other analysts at @Black_BirdGroup will continue to monitor the developments near our borders and in the LMD. 12/12