Russia Restores Garrison Near Finland to Host Newly Formed 44th Corps

The Russian military is actively restoring a former Soviet-era garrison in Petrozavodsk, Russia’s Republic of Karelia, near the Finnish border.

The Finnish media Yle reports that satellite imagery shows extensive site clearance, along with the arrival of military equipment and technical infrastructure.

The once-abandoned facility, which was largely inactive in the 2000s, is now being converted into a major logistical and combat base for Russia’s armed forces.

The facility is expected to serve as a base for deploying troops near Finland’s border.

According to Finnish military analysts, the garrison will serve as a core base for the new 44th Army Corps, with a strength of up to 15,000 personnel.

Russia started forming this unit immediately after Finland joined NATO.

As of now, the aggressor maintains between 2,500 and 3,000 troops in the Republic of Karelia.

The bulk of the contingent consists of Aerospace Forces units. At the Besovets air base, Russia has concentrated 80 fighter aircraft.

Alongside modern Su-35S fighter jets, older Soviet-era Su-27 aircraft are also based there. In addition to aviation assets, several thousand units of armored vehicles, trucks, and artillery pieces – mostly of Soviet manufacture – are stored in the region.

In Petrozavodsk, Russia has deployed the headquarters of a radio-technical regiment that services around ten radar stations. Despite the presence of equipment and logistical facilities, the region currently has no fully deployed active combat units.

Meanwhile, major construction is underway at the Kandalaksha military settlement in the Murmansk region. The Russian command is building new barracks and administrative buildings to create a staging area for an Arctic force grouping.

Despite this, satellite imagery from June 2024 documented active troop transfers from Karelia to the war in Ukraine. Equipment is being brought in for repairs to support existing units, and troop rotations are also underway.

Meanwhile, Russia has established a new Leningrad Military District, responsible for the territory bordering Finland.