Russia expands military might near NATO's doorstep

• Russia is expanding military bases in Petrozavodsk, about 160 kilometres from the border with Finland, as part of preparations for a potential conflict with NATO.

• The Kremlin is increasing the size of its army to 1.5 million soldiers and raising military spending to 6 per cent of GDP.

• The new military infrastructure includes storage facilities and quarters for soldiers, as well as the modernisation of railway lines along the borders with Finland and Norway.

Russia is intensifying its military activities near NATO borders, causing concern among neighbouring countries. The "Wall Street Journal" reports that the Kremlin is expanding military bases in Petrozavodsk, just about 160 kilometres from the border with Finland.

These actions, according to many observers, are part of a broader strategy of preparation for a potential conflict with NATO. "When the troops return (from Ukraine), they will look across the border at a country they consider an adversary," said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies.

Vladimir Putin has issued an order to increase the size of the army to 1.5 million soldiers, a significant increase compared to the state before the invasion of Ukraine, when the army numbered about a million soldiers. The Kremlin is also raising military spending from 3.6 per cent of GDP to 6 per cent.

"The Russian army is bigger today than at the beginning of the war," noted General Christopher Cavoli, commander of US forces in Europe.

Russia is not only increasing the size of its forces but also modernising military infrastructure in the region. New railway lines are being built along the borders with Finland and Norway, and existing routes are being expanded.

We see that the military is becoming a new kind of elite, assessed Daivis Petraitis from the Baltic Defence College. Officers on NATO's eastern flank expect that Russia will try to deter Europe from increasing tensions.