Finland is keeping a watchful eye on its eastern frontier after reports and satellite images confirmed a growing Russian military presence near the border.
The Finnish government has confirmed it is “closely monitoring” Moscow’s latest military activity, following the publication of satellite images by The New York Times which appear to show newly constructed infrastructure near the 1,340-kilometre border that the Nordic nation shares with Russia.
This development comes just over a year after Finland ended decades of military non-alignment to join NATO in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Russia is building more infrastructure to be able to bring in more troops after the war in Ukraine is over,” the Finnish Defence Forces told AFP.
Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen stated that Finland and its NATO allies are “closely monitoring and assessing Russia’s activities and intentions”. Speaking via email to AFP, Häkkänen added that Moscow’s military movements had not caught Finland off guard.
“Russia’s moves to strengthen its armed forces have not come as a surprise to Finland,” he said.
Moscow has issued multiple warnings to Finland since it joined the Western alliance in 2023. However, Helsinki has maintained a steady posture, asserting confidence in its defence strategy and surveillance capabilities.
“We have excellent capabilities to observe Russian operations,” Häkkänen said. “As a member of the alliance, Finland holds a strong security position.”
The minister went on to stress Finland’s robust defence posture, which is built around mandatory national service and a large, well-trained reserve force.
“Our entire society has invested broadly in preparedness for all types of disruptions and crises,” he added.
While the build-up is being taken seriously, Finnish military leadership says it aligns with existing intelligence and does not indicate an immediate threat.
Major General Sami Nurmi, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, told Finnish broadcaster Yle that the construction efforts observed across the border were anticipated.
“That is consistent with what has been assessed. It is not a question of a mass construction effort,” he said, noting that the situation currently poses no direct danger to Finnish territory.
Nevertheless, Finland has been actively bolstering its military readiness since joining NATO. In April, the government announced a significant increase in defence spending, pledging to raise it to at least 3% of GDP by 2029, alongside a sweeping reform of the Finnish Defence Forces.
The Russian military activity follows a separate point of tension in December 2023, when Finland closed its eastern border after roughly 1,000 migrants arrived without visas. Finnish authorities claimed the influx was deliberately orchestrated by Moscow as part of a hybrid warfare strategy, an accusation Russia has firmly denied.
