Why is Putin amassing troops at the Finnish border?

New satellite images reveal Russia's actions near Finland, alerting the security services of Norway and Finland.

Photos taken by an American company show Moscow's increasing belligerence towards NATO territories and its willingness to extend its "land power", warn Norwegian intelligence sources.

"We see that Russia is building new infrastructure and preparing for troop movements in the region," said Vesa Virtanen, head of the Finnish Defence Command.

On the other hand, Emil Kastehelmi, a Finnish analyst, has noted an increase in activity at certain Russian military bases along the Finnish border, two of which are close to the Norwegian border.

According to Western intelligence sources, the Kremlin prioritises constructing a new headquarters at the Petrozavodsk military base, located 175 kilometres (108 miles) from the Finnish border, where three new storage buildings have appeared in just over two years.

The Sputinik military base, situated a few kilometres from the Finnish-Norwegian border, also seems to have undergone an expansion of its storage facilities, causing real concern in the Scandinavian countries.

(MH with AnVa - Source: Agency - Photo: © Unsplash)