12 military bases in the west, Russia "gets ready" against NATO

2022-05-20 19:03:59Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
12 military bases in the west, Russia "gets ready" against NATO
Russian soldiers in Mariupol

Russia will set up 12 new military bases in the west of the country in response to Sweden and Finland's request for NATO membership.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the announcement on Friday, saying the new bases will be in place by the end of the year.

He said "12 military bases and units will be deployed in the Western Military District, as there is an increase in military threats on Russia's borders," blaming NATO and the United States.

Russia's Interfax news agency reports that Moscow is taking "adequate countermeasures" in response to those "military threats" perceived in the west.

This week Finland and Sweden formally applied for NATO membership, a move that was unimaginable before Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

Finland shares a 1300 km land border with Russia, while the Swedish island of Gotland is strategically important in the Baltic Sea and only 300 km from the Russian militarized enclave of Kaliningrad.


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