Satellite pics show Putin on the march as Russia masses troops 35 miles from Nato border with 2k soldiers & helicopters
The photos show increased military activity at four locations inside Russia - Kamenka, Petrozavodsk, Severomorsk-2, and Olenya.
7
7
7
It is thought that Russia is building accommodation for troops and deploying helicopters and vehicles at the four military bases, according to analysts.
At Kamenka - just 37 miles from the Finnish border - more than 130 military tents have been put up since February.
The previously undeveloped area now looks as thought it could house up to 2,000 soldiers, according to SVT.
At Petrozavodsk - around 109 miles from the border - three large storage halls, capable of holding around 50 armoured vehicles each, have been built.
It is thought that the new structures may be intended to conceal the true number of vehicles stationed there.
At Severomorsk-2 multiple helicopters can be seen at the base.
And at Olenya there has been further military activity, as Ukrainian sources have suggested the base is responsible for a number of attacks on Ukrainian targets.
The shocking images were obtained by Swedish broadcaster SVT from Planet Labs.
And the photos have a chilling resemblance to images captured before the Russian tyrant launched his war on Ukraine.
US officials raised the alarm after satellite images showing Russian troops massing on the border with Ukraine were revealed in November 2021.
The Kremlin denied claims that they were preparing for war at the time.
But less than four months later Putin invaded Ukraine, sparking three long years of brutal conflict.
The increased military activity on the border with Finland comes after the arctic nation joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation two years ago.
Finland has historically been a neutral nation - acting under the influence of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991.
But after the Kremlin's brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Finland pushed for Nato's backing - despite having defended itself alone for many years.
The arctic nation joined Nato in April 2023.
And Sweden also joined the alliance in March 2024.
What is Nato?
By Lydia Doye
NATO is an alliance of countries from Europe and North America which promises security for all its members.
The alliance was formed in 1949 in response to fears of Soviet expansion during the Cold War.
Nato now has 31 members including the United Kingdom, the United States, and France.
The most recent country to join Nato is Sweden, which became a member on March 7, 2024.
Finland joined the alliance in April 2023.
On a basic level, Nato operates on the principle that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
7
7
In response, Putin declared it would take the "necessary measures" to counter the aggressive decisions of Finland and its NATO allies.
Russia has repeatedly accused Nato of acting as an aggressor and has vowed to defend itself by any means.
Last month Finland's Deputy Chief of Defence Lieutenant, General Vesa Virtanen, raised concerns over Russia's actions on the border.
He said that Russia is "deliberately testing NATO's unity" to see if it will trigger Article 5 - the alliance's collective defence clause.
Sweden's Chief of Defence Michael Claesson said: 'When we applied for NATO membership, Russia said it would take such steps.
"We are now seeing that happen.'
In response, Russia appears to have been preparing for war by ramping up its facilities on the border.
7
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Ukrainian man arrested in Italy over Nord Stream pipeline attacks
BERLIN/MILAN, Aug 21 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian man was arrested at a holiday bungalow in Italy on suspicion of coordinating attacks on three Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, officials said on Thursday, a breakthrough in an episode that sharpened tensions between Russia and the West. Described by both Moscow and the West as an act of sabotage, the explosions largely severed Russian gas supplies to Europe, prompting a major escalation in the Ukraine conflict and squeezing energy supplies on the continent. No one has taken responsibility for the blasts and Ukraine has denied any role. The arrest comes just as Kyiv is engaged in fraught diplomatic discussions with the United States over how to end thewar in Ukraine without giving away major concessions and swathes of its own territory to Russia. "Politically we are firmly on Ukraine's side and will continue to be so," said Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig when asked if the arrest would affect Berlin's ties to Kyiv. "What is important for me is that Germany is a country of law, and crimes in our jurisdiction are fully investigated." The suspect, identified only as Serhii K. under German privacy laws, was part of a group of people who planted devices on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, a statement from the prosecutor's office said. He and his accomplices had set off from Rostock on Germany's northeastern coast in a sailing yacht to carry out the attack, it said. The vessel had been rented from a German company with the help of forged identity documents via middlemen, it added. Authorities acted on a European arrest warrant for the suspect, who faces charges of collusion to cause an explosion, anti-constitutional sabotage and destruction of important structures. An official in the Ukrainian president's office said he could not comment as it was not clear who had been arrested. The official reiterated Ukraine's denial of any role in the blasts. Successive Ukrainian governments have seen the pipelines as a symbol of, and vehicle for, Russia's hold over European energy supplies that Kyiv argued made it hard to act against Moscow ever since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The Wall Street Journal reported that the suspect was a retired captain in Ukraine's armed forces and previously served in Ukraine's security service SBU, as well as in an elite unit that defended Kyiv in the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The officer purportedly headed a team of two soldiers and four civilian divers covertly recruited by a special Ukrainian military unit to lay explosives that damaged the undersea pipelines, the WSJ said, citing investigators. German prosecutors declined to comment on the WSJ report. Carabinieri officers arrested the suspect overnight in San Clemente on Italy's Adriatic coast, where he was supposed to spend a few days with his family. "Once his presence had been verified, the Carabinieri surrounded the bungalow and launched a raid, during which the man surrendered without resistance," a statement by the Carabinieri said, adding the suspect was 49 years old. A police official told Reuters the suspect was arrested because, when providing documents at a hotel check-in, an alert flagging he was wanted popped up at the police headquarters, which dispatched a Carabinieri police patrol. In September 2022, one of the two lines of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was damaged by mysterious blasts, along with both lines of Nord Stream 1 that carried Russian gas to Europe. Moscow, without providing evidence, blamed Western sabotage for the blasts, which cut off most Russian gas supplies to the lucrative European market. The U.S. denied having anything to do with the attacks. The Washington Post and Germany's Der Spiegel magazine have previously said the team that carried out the attack was put together by a former Ukrainian intelligence officer, who denied involvement. In January 2023, Germany raided a ship that it said may have been used to transport explosives and told the United Nations it believed trained divers could have attached devices to the pipelines at about 70 to 80 metres deep. The boat, leased in Germany via a Poland-registered company, contained traces of octogen, the same explosive that was found at the underwater blast sites, according to the investigations by Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years, in which analysts say more than 1 million people have been killed or injured.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Trump's kitchen meltdown: President wags finger at Putin in Nixon copycat stunt
Donald Trump posted the image after Moscow unleashed one of its heaviest bombardments of Ukraine, in what critics say was a bid to show himself standing firm against Russia's strongman Donald Trump has sparked controversy after posting a provocative photo of himself pointing his finger at Vladimir Putin - echoing the infamous 1959 'Kitchen Debate' between Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev. The US President dropped the image online today just hours after Moscow unleashed one of its heaviest bombardments of Ukraine since the war began, in what critics say was a calculated bid to show himself standing firm against Russia 's strongman. Trump's copycat pose, mirroring Nixon's clash with Khrushchev in a mock-up American kitchen during the Cold War, is being billed by allies as a symbol of defiance. But insiders claim it is also the latest sign of his growing fury at Putin's refusal to end the carnage. One well-placed source told the Mirror: 'There is no secret that Trump has become increasingly angered by Putin's lack of action. He says one thing, but then immediately carries out further attacks on Ukraine, showing he has no interest in stopping the killing. Putin is beginning to make Trump look weak, and it's wearing on the President. He's already threatened much greater sanctions against Russia if peace is not forthcoming and it's clear Trump feels time is running out.' The original 'Kitchen Debate' took place during the American National Exhibition in Moscow, when then–Vice President Nixon and Soviet Premier Khrushchev went toe-to-toe in front of cameras. What began as a row over washing machines and televisions quickly descended into a fiery exchange about capitalism versus communism and became one of the defining images of the Cold War. Now Trump is trying to cast himself in the same mould, pointing the finger at Putin as Nixon once did at Khrushchev, inviting comparisons between his standoff with Moscow and America's ideological battle with the Soviet Union. The timing of the stunt, however, raised eyebrows. Russia's overnight blitz of Ukrainian cities left dozens dead and injured, further escalating a war already grinding into its third year. Against that backdrop, Trump's photo-op was seized upon by supporters as proof of American resolve and derided by critics as a cheap gimmick. 'Trump thinks he's Nixon squaring up to Khrushchev,' one social media user wrote online. 'In reality, he's cosplaying statesmanship while bombs fall on civilians.' The Internet was split. MAGA supporters hailed the image as a show of leadership, with one supporter posting: 'This is America standing tall. Trump is showing Putin he won't be pushed around.' Others were scathing, branding it ' Instagram diplomacy' and 'a stunt that trivialises a brutal war.' Historians and foreign policy experts were equally divided. Some said the symbolism was clever, drawing on an iconic Cold War moment to remind the world of America's strength. Others warned it was simplistic, dangerous even, reducing a complex modern conflict to a recycled photo-op. 'It's a flashy gesture,' said one analyst. 'But Ukraine isn't 1959 Moscow, and Putin isn't Khrushchev. The stakes today are far higher and a finger-pointing picture won't bring the bombs to a halt.' Still, Trump's move has ensured he is once again at the centre of the Ukraine debate, positioning himself as the man prepared to stare down Putin.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Exclusive: US, Europe create military options on Ukraine, intend to present to national security advisers next
Aug 21 (Reuters) - Military chiefs from the United States and a number of European countries have completed military options on Ukraine and will now present the options to their respective national security advisers, the U.S. military said on Thursday. Reuters has previously reported that U.S. and European military planners have begun exploring post-conflict security guarantees for Ukraine, following President Donald Trump's pledge to help protect the country under any deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine. "These options will be presented to each nation's respective national security advisers for appropriate consideration in ongoing diplomatic efforts," a U.S. military statement said. The meetings between the chiefs of defense for the United States, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Ukraine took place in Washington, D.C., between Tuesday and Thursday. Reuters was first to report on the completion of the plans that will be presented to the national security advisers. Ukraine and its European allies have been buoyed by Trump's promise during a summit on Monday of security guarantees for Kyiv, but many questions remain unanswered. Officials have cautioned that it would take time for U.S. and European planners to determine what would be both militarily feasible and acceptable to the Kremlin. One option was sending European forces to Ukraine but putting the United States in charge of their command and control, sources have told Reuters. Russia's Foreign Ministry has ruled out the deployment of troops from NATO countries to help secure a peace deal. Trump has publicly ruled out deploying U.S. troops in Ukraine but on Tuesday appeared to leave the door open to other U.S. military involvement. U.S. air support could come in a variety of ways, including providing more air defense systems to Ukraine and enforcing a no-fly zone with U.S. fighter jets. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have both spoken in favour of troop deployments in a post-war settlement as part of a coalition of the willing, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also signaling openness to his country's participation The head of Germany's soldiers' union said on Thursday that European NATO leaders must not be naive when discussing a Ukraine peace force but face up to the reality that they would need to deploy tens of thousands of troops to the country for the long term. Trump has pressed for a quick end to Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, and Kyiv and its allies have worried he could seek to force an agreement on Russia's terms after the president last week rolled out the red carpet for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Russia says it is engaged in a 'special military operation' in Ukraine to protect its national security, claiming NATO's eastward expansion and Western military support for Ukraine pose existential threats. Kyiv and its Western allies say the invasion is an imperial-style land grab. Despite Trump's push to end the war, Russia attacked a gas compressor station in eastern Ukraine that is important for getting gas into storage facilities for the winter heating season.
