The Russian army has begun construction of its first completely new military base since Soviet times near Petrozavodsk, near Finland’s eastern border, according to Yle. This is a new garrison. According to European estimates, units of the new 44th Army Corps of the Leningrad Military District will be stationed there.
A training camp, a headquarters building, and a dozen barracks are already visible on the ground. Satellite images show cleared areas and the beginning of excavation work, which, according to some sources, began this winter. About 10 large buildings, including barracks, are currently under construction. Experts estimate the base will accommodate between 4,000 and 6,000 troops. Russian authorities confirmed construction at the end of May 2026, when the Deputy Defense Minister inspected the site. The Russian ministry reported that more than 50 different facilities will be built at the base, including barracks, residential buildings for military families, and sports fields.
Separately, the previously abandoned “Rybka” garrison, about 160 km from the Finnish border, is being restored. According to satellite data, military equipment has already begun arriving in the area. The formation or redeployment of a separate railway brigade to the region is also being discussed.
Military expert, former intelligence officer, and retired Finnish major Marko Eklund said that the troop increase poses a potential threat to Finland, as the Russian army’s combat capabilities will significantly increase. However, according to the analyst, it will take time. The base must be completed and the personnel trained.
Russian military modernization is underway in at least 19 locations along the Russia-NATO border. The most visible changes are taking place on the Kola Peninsula. New barracks, infrastructure, and depots are under construction at Pechenga. Further south, at Kandalaksha, a new base is being built from scratch.
Another critical point is Baltiysk, near Kaliningrad. Here, the naval base is being expanded and the fleet of armored vehicles and landing craft is growing. Northern European intelligence agencies are concerned about amphibious operations on the islands of Gotland or Bornholm, fueling the narrative of a possible Russian attack.
According to Russian sources, the expansion or reconstruction plans come after Finland and Sweden joined NATO and the alliance’s growing presence in Norway and the Baltic Sea. Moscow has therefore decided not to leave the northwest unprepared. Even more importantly, in recent years, major NATO exercises have regularly taken place near the areas and territories where new barracks and equipment are currently being identified: from scenarios involving an attack on Kaliningrad to exercises for operations in the Arctic region.
Graziella Giangiulio
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