Russia is massaging troops on the border with Finland and Sweden. What does the images surprised from the satellite look like

Satellite images have revealed a significant Russian military activity near the Eastern border of Finland, the analysts mentioning the extension of the troop accommodation capabilities, the aircraft and the construction of infrastructure in key military bases.

Russia has increased its activity on the border with Finland and Sweden Photo SVT

The photographs, obtained by the Swedish public post from Planet Labs, capture four locations: Kamenka, on Karelia, Petrozavodsk, Severomorsk-2 and Olenya.

The findings suggest that Russia strengthens its military presence in the region as a reaction to Finland and Sweden at NATO, according to Helsinki Times.

At Kamenka, just 60 kilometers from the Finnish border, over 130 military tents of February 2025 were erected. The area, which in 2022 was not arranged, now seems capable of hosting up to 2,000 soldiers.

Military analyst Emil Kastehelmi described these changes as signs of a “Increased activities” and of a delayed implementation of the measures promised by Russia after the NATO expansion.

At Petrozavodsk, located about 175 kilometers from the border, three large storage halls were built, each being able to house about 50 armored vehicles. A fourth hall was under construction in April 2025. Analysts believe that the new structures could have the purpose of masking the real number of vehicles stationed in the area.

To the north of the Polar Circle, Severomorsk-2 air base, previously decommissioned, is subjected to rehabilitation works. The satellite images show several helicopters parked there. Analysts believe that the goal is to restore the tracks to allow the operation of fixed wing military aircraft.

Additional activity was also observed at the Olenya air base, where, according to Ukrainian sources, Russian strategic bombers operate. These would have been used in attacks on some targets in Ukraine.

The head of Defense in Sweden, Michael Claesson, said these developments seem to confirm the previous statements of Russia on “military-technical measures” in response to NATO's expansion.

“When I asked for joining NATO, Russia announced that it will take such measures. Now we see this happening.”said Claesson.

Finland's accession to NATO, formalized in 2023, moved the alliance border directly to the northwestern flank of Russia. Since then, Finland has begun to strengthen its defensive position, including hosting a new NATO command center in Lapland, which would become operational during this year.

Although Moscow did not initially provide a visible military response to NATO expansion, the satellite images are now taking progressive preparations from the Russian side of the border.

These changes occur in the context of Russia's continuous military operations in Ukraine and increased international attention on Russian military posture in the Baltic and Arctic regions. Defense officials in Finland and Sweden have stated that these developments are closely monitored.