"We have five years," Russian troops deploy near Finland

Finland could be the new front for Russian aggression. This is the alarm that the American media has raised. Based on some satellite images, made public by the New York Times, it turns out that Russian forces have reinforced bases and built military infrastructure near the Finnish border, a move that could reveal their strategy for what will happen after the war in Ukraine.

The images, confirmed by NATO officials, show rows upon rows of new tents; new warehouses that can store military vehicles; renovations to fighter jet shelters; and ongoing construction activity at a helicopter base that had been largely unused and covered in vegetation, writes A2.

So far, the moves appear to be the early stages of a larger, longer-term expansion, and NATO officials say this is nothing like the buildup along the Ukrainian border before a full-scale invasion of Russia in 2022, the New York Times notes. For now, Russia, preoccupied with its own war in Ukraine, has very few troops along the border, and the Finns insist that none of this poses a major threat yet.

Finland is one of NATO's newest members, joining two years ago, and the moves undoubtedly reflect Moscow's perception of a threat: That 830-mile border is now the Western alliance's longest line of contact with Russia. Military analysts predict it could become a flashpoint, especially with much of it located in the increasingly contested Arctic Circle.

American and Finnish troops recently conducted a complex Arctic warfare exercise in the region, with hundreds of troops running through forests and Finns speeding through trees on skis in open terrain. The supposed enemy? Russia.

Finnish defense officials predict that if the high-intensity phase of the war in Ukraine ends, Russia will redeploy thousands of troops to the Finnish border. The Finns believe they have about five years before Russia can build up its forces to threatening levels. But they are confident that it will happen, and that the number of Russian troops facing them will triple. (A2 Televizion)