Finland fortifies itself against its Russian neighbor

"From the bridge of the gigantic patrol boat Turva, Mikko Simola, the commander in charge of the Coast Guard that ensures the safety of the Gulf of Finland, points his finger almost as a reflex east, toward the only stretch of sea that, after crossing Helsinki and Tallinn, flows into the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. In that area, Simola and his crew have been watching Russian warships pass right before their eyes and their radars for three years."

"Their presence is much greater, he notes. So is that of the so-called shadow tankers, the aging fleet the Kremlin uses to evade Western sanctions and whose movement continues, oblivious to these restrictions, at a rate of between 30 and 50 per week. In the nearly four years since the first Russian bombings of Ukraine, Simola has seen it all."

"Although Finland is not one of the countries directly affected by the drone swarms and cyberattacks that have threatened virtually all of its northern and eastern EU neighbors in recent weeks, Helsinki and its nearly six million inhabitants are going through a critical moment. This fear is based on its own history and on an objective fact: its border with Russia is, by far, the longest in the entire Old Continent."

The Finnish Coast Guard monitors increased Russian warship traffic and an active presence of aging shadow tankers in the Gulf of Finland, especially along the route to Saint Petersburg. The shadow fleet moves at an estimated 30 to 50 vessels per week and continues operations despite Western sanctions. Finnish patrols have intercepted vessels accused of damaging undersea infrastructure, including electricity and data cables. Finland's long border with Russia and recent regional drone and cyberattack threats have heightened public concern. Finnish leaders emphasize that Finland, the Baltic states, and Poland are defending European security and call for greater solidarity.

Read at english.elpais.com