Russian shadow fleet operations stir Baltic tensions
- The recent incidents in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland indicate that new elements are emerging in Russia's military operations, which are escalating tensions in the region, according to Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen.
Russia is not only active at sea and in the air but is also expanding its military infrastructure along Finland's eastern border - this was highlighted in a Yle TV program featuring Hakkanen.
Russia has always maintained a strong military presence. This is not new. What is new, however, is that Russia is protecting tankers belonging to its "shadow fleet" in the narrow passages through the Gulf of Finland. Russian armed forces have conducted escort operations. This is unprecedented - the minister noted, referring to Russia sending a Su-35 fighter jet to "cover" a tanker with no flag operated by the Estonian navy, heading to Russia's Primorsk.
The incident occurred last week, and Russian air forces violated Estonian and NATO airspace.
On Friday, Finnish authorities also reported a possible airspace violation by two Russian military aircraft over the Gulf of Finland near Porvoo, several kilometres east of Helsinki. According to the minister, this is a "serious matter," which is currently under investigation. The last report of a Finnish airspace breach was in February.
Hakkanen also commented on satellite images obtained not only by Finnish media but also by, among others, Swedish and American media, from regions across Finland's and Norway's eastern borders. They show that Russian military bases near the border with Finland are expanding, with new facilities being built and old ones being modernized. The images reveal, for example, rows of tents, military vehicles, and aircraft hangars.
"Russia is an aggressive neighbour"
- After the war in Ukraine ends, Russia will have the capability to regroup its forces at these bases. Currently, there is a certain vacuum concerning ground forces there - said Hakkanen.
According to the Finnish minister, Finland is now preparing for a "long-term" strengthening of its defence to ensure a strong readiness and operational capability on its own territory, along with NATO allies. - Russia is an aggressive and dangerous neighbour for all of Europe, that's obvious - he acknowledged.
