Russia is building a garrison for an artillery brigade in the closed military town of Kandalaksha, on the border with Finnish Lapland, in the first concrete sign of a steady increase in troop numbers near the Finnish border.
This is reported by the Finnish broadcaster Yle, citing satellite images.
Construction in Lupche-Savino, which is part of the city of Kandalaksha in the Murmansk region, began last winter. Large-scale excavation work has been carried out there, several new buildings have been erected, old structures are being repaired, and the area is being cleared. According to the leadership of the Murmansk region, a garrison is being created here for a new artillery brigade and an engineering unit. Previously, this base was used only as a warehouse for equipment and equipment.
Juha Rissanen / Yle
The scale of the new camp is indicative of a long-term strategic expansion. According to the local administration, Kandalaksha plans to house more than 2 000 soldiers. The construction is part of a broader program to modernize military camps, for which the government has allocated 42 billion rubles (over €450 million).
Скриншот/Yle
Satellite images also recorded new activity at the Sapernoye garrison on the Karelian Isthmus, between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. Sapernoye is a village in the Leningrad region, located 70 km from the border with Finland. There, the arrival of new military equipment was noticed — probably engineering, including pontoon bridges. This may be related to the expansion of the neighboring Kamyanka garrison, where a brigade is being converted into a division — almost tripling the number of soldiers.
Скриншот/Yle
Russia has also become more active in Petrozavodsk. Here, military equipment depots are being replenished, a railway brigade has been created, and the headquarters of an aviation division has been placed — this indicates the formation of a full-fledged military leadership in the region. In addition, a new, 44th army corps with a strength of up to 15 thousand soldiers is being formed in Karelia. A significant part of the equipment for it is being taken from the depot in Petrozavodsk.
Скриншот/Yle
The strengthening of Russiaʼs military presence near the border with Finland has two reasons, writes Yle. First, it is the preparation of equipment and personnel for the war against Ukraine. This is what is associated with the creation of warehouses in Alakurt and Petrozavodsk, as well as the appearance of a large tent camp on the Karelian Isthmus.
Juha Rissanen / Yle
- The Wall Street Journal wrote back in April 2025 that in the Russian city of Petrozavodsk, located about 160 kilometers east of the border with Finland, military engineers are expanding army bases. They are building a new army headquarters there, modernizing barracks, arsenals and railway lines. According to the Kremlinʼs plan, in the coming years the number of troops there will be significantly increased — from brigades of several thousand to divisions of 10 thousand soldiers, strengthening the presence along the borders with Finland, Estonia and Latvia, which are members of NATO. More about this here.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.