Military Activities Near Finland

So, get this: it looks like Russia's been ramping up their military vibes just over Finland’s backyard, but Estonia? Not so much, says Col. Ants Kiviselg, who heads up the Estonian Defense Forces' Intelligence Center.

Estonia's Intelligence Insights

The Wall Street Journal just spilled the beans on Russia setting up new military units and piling up infrastructure in the Leningrad Military District, which is right next to Finland. Turns out, a team from the Estonian Eesti Ekspress had dug up similar dirt last year about military bases near the Baltic States, Finland, and Poland.

Connection to Military Reform Plans

Kiviselg chatted on a morning show called "Terevisioon" this Tuesday, linking all these military shenanigans to Russia's big military reform plans they announced back in late 2022. According to him, all these fancy new activities near Estonia and Finland are all about prepping new soldiers, training them, and sending some off to Ukraine.

Long-term Implications

But hold up, if this whole mess in Ukraine were to stop dead in its tracks tomorrow, those camps wouldn’t just pack up and leave. Nope, because this army reform is pretty much set in stone now and they've got extra troops lining up. These guys will need a home base eventually, he pointed out during his chat.

Status of Russian Bases

Regarding those Russian bases right behind Finland and the Baltic region, they're mostly ghost towns these days. Why? Most of their usual troop suspects are knee-deep in the conflict in Ukraine.

Observation on Estonian Border

"In recent months, we have not seen the same kind of fuss near the Estonian border as the Finnish side. But those tent camps, oh they’ve been around,