Russians transfer 80% of troops from Finnish border to Ukraine – Yle

Russians have transferred 80% of their ground forces' personnel and equipment from bases near the Finnish border to Ukraine, according to the local publication Yle, citing an unnamed high-ranking source in Finnish intelligence.

For in-depth analysis and longer stories, follow us on LinkedIn

The source reported that 80% of the personnel and equipment from these bases have been moved to Ukraine, with the barracks mainly used for equipment maintenance and training recruits.

Yle reports that the satellite images it obtained do not show such radical changes, and a new hangar has been built in the weapons and equipment park in Petrozavodsk.

Retired Finnish major and military expert Marko Eklund believes the equipment in the images has not been decommissioned. According to him, if soldiers were trained there, some military equipment would have been left for them.

The primary task of the military park in Petrozavodsk is likely to be the repair of equipment and its dispatch to the front, a task best performed in an enclosed space, the expert commented.

Read also: Dozens of Russian occupants trapped in Vovchansk – Kharkiv Group