Security experts: More Russian troops have been taken to Ukraine from the region
A Finnish intelligence source confirms that 80 percent of Russian ground forces located near the Baltic States and Finland are currently engaged on the Ukrainian front. The air force, air defense and navy are in better condition. Estonian security experts add that recently, even more Russian troops from this region have been transferred to the Ukrainian frontlines.
While last year, the Russian air force base near Pskov had numerous military aircraft, by late May this year, only two planes could be discerned despite the blurriness of satellite images. Finnish public broadcaster Yle, citing intelligence sources, claims that 80 percent of Russian ground forces near the Baltic States and Finland are currently engaged on the Ukrainian front. Norwegian intelligence concurs with this assessment.
Security expert Rainer Saks notes that the number of these units has decreased even further recently.
"From the very beginning of the war, the professional military units from the Western Military District stationed at our borders have been sent to fight in Ukraine. Conscripts continue to train in these units. The number of remaining units has decreased because it can be assumed that Russia is currently attempting a larger offensive in Ukraine," said Saks.
Some ships from the Baltic Fleet have been moved to the Black Sea, but generally, Russia is trying to maintain its military equipment in this region.
"Russia has tried to retain its ability to control the airspace if necessary, and the reduction in the air force, air defense, navy and missile forces here is certainly much more marginal," Saks added.
Reserve Col. Hannes Toomsalu stated that troops for the war in Ukraine have been scraped together from across Russia.
"The Russians have nothing more to bring in. The troops under Kharkiv should be from the Leningrad Military District, at least that's what has been confirmed, and they are quite inadequate. In short, there's nothing more to take from there," said Toomsalu.
Restoring Russia's defensive capability in this region will take years.
"Their capability is limited; it will certainly take five to seven years, so in the short term, we are not talking about any threat to Estonia or the Baltic States and Nordic countries," said Dmitri Teperik, the former executive director of the International Centre for Defense and Security (ICDS).
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Marcus Turovski
