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Russia is expanding its army and, according to experts, is preparing for a possible conflict with NATO. New details about the Leningrad Military District have emerged.
Moscow – The question of whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will settle for Ukraine or expand his ambitions to other countries has been a recurring theme in discussions about Ukraine since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine could serve as a last line of defense before Putin launches an attack on NATO members such as Poland or the Baltic states.
Analysts from the American think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) consider this to be entirely possible. A report released on Friday (April 19) noted that Moscow is continuing to expand its armed forces to prepare for a “future large-scale conventional conflict with NATO.”
War with NATO? Russia forms new military district
The focus is on the expansion of the Russian military to include the Leningrad Military District. The entire Russian territory is divided into so-called military districts, each of which is responsible for different units of the Russian army. Putin had already announced the restructuring of the Leningrad military district in December last year – in response to Finland's accession to NATO. The Leningrad Military District borders directly on the new NATO border with Finland.
New information about the military district has now become known. Russian Defense Ministry sources informed the Russian newspaper Izvestia that a new missile brigade has been created in the city of Karelia, near the Finnish border. It is equipped with Iskandar-M ballistic missiles. Putin is also considering the creation of a new armored division. A final decision is still pending.
According to the report, additional Russian Air Force units have been deployed to the region. This apparently includes both fighter aircraft and bombers, as well as units of the Russian Air Defense Forces.
“If the worst case scenario occurs”: Russia’s new military district should take action against NATO
Russia makes no secret of the fact that the troops in the new military district will be used against NATO if necessary. “If the worst case scenario occurs, then the missile brigade will deal with NATO troops that pose a threat,” Admiral Vladimir Valuyev, the former head of Russia's Baltic Fleet, told Izvestia.
The countries on NATO's eastern flank in particular are convinced that Putin also has Europe in his sights. Estonian President Alar Karis recently called for Ukraine to be given “more weapons and ammunition.”
Russia conflict with NATO? “Vladimir Putin won’t stop”
He warned: “If you don’t provide enough resources now, it will be even more expensive later. Because Vladimir Putin won't stop. History shows that. He will want to expand further, and then it will be about countries other than Ukraine. Moldova, maybe even Germany.” That’s why we need to “build a deterrent that protects everyone in Europe.”
Karis' demand could soon be fulfilled. After months of blockage, the US House of Representatives approved a new billion-dollar aid package for Ukraine on Saturday. The bill, which allocates around $61 billion (57 billion euros) for Kyiv, was passed by the chamber of parliament. Senate approval is still pending, but is considered certain.
Editor Bedrettin Bölükbasi wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.
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