Touchdown in Sputnik. Defence Minister Belousov pays visit to naval infantry brigade near Nordic NATO border
During his visit to the far northern brigade, Putin's defence minister Andrei Belousov reportedly looked at plans for new military infrastructure and weapon storage facilities near the border to Norway and Finland.
A heavily guarded helicopter on Saturday the 12th of October flew low across the Kola Peninsula to the Northern Fleet base of Sputnik, only few kilometres from the border to neighbouring NATO countries Norway and Finland.
The delegation that included also Head Commander of the Russian Navy Aleksandr Moiseev and Commander of the Northern Fleet Konstantin Kabantsov first made a stop in Gadzhievo, where they visited the Knyaz Vladimir, Russia's new strategic nuclear sub of the Borey class.
They subsequently proceeded eastwards towards the border to Norway and Finland, a video from the Russian Armed Forces posted on Telegram shows.
As the helicopters landed in Sputnik, the high-ranking military men were welcomed by local commanders. Among them was Roman Fyodorov, the officer that took over the lead of the brigade late 2023 following his participation of the onslaught on Ukraine.
Sputnik is the base for the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade, an elite force that is also called the "Kirkenes Brigade" after its fighting against German Nazi troops in the far northern Norwegian town in the fall of 1944.
The naval infantry brigade has been heavily engaged in the war against Ukraine ever since the onslaught of 24th of February 2022. Losses have been dramatic. According to a Norwegian intelligence report from early 2023, the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade and neighbouring 200th Mechanised Rifle Brigade after less than a year of fighting had lost about 80 percent of its former capacities.
The Russian Defence Ministry might now start a major development of the far northern brigades.
According to the Armed Forces, local commanders briefed Belousov about a development program for marine infantry units in the region. Reportedly, by year 2030 several storages facilities for weapons and military equipment, including missiles and artillery, are to be built. Also new housing, dormitories and barracks are under planning.
Belousov listened to the reports and himself gave a series of instructions about the development of the garrison, the Northern Fleet newspaper Na Strazhe Zapolyare informs.
The visit to Sputnik and the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade came only few days after the military town was awarded the honorary title “Settlement of Military Bravery.”
Several hundred warriors from the brigade are fighting in the war of aggression in Ukraine. Most of them are believed to be based in occupied parts of the south Ukrainian Kherson region.
Meanwhile, wives and children are left in the far northern base, where many of them recently took part in an event that included militaristic games and activities for kids, such as throwing hand grenades, assembly of machine guns and military marching.
The visit to Sputnik came only two days ahead of Belousov's travel to Beijing, where he highlighted Moscow's close military cooperation with China.
"We see that we have common views, common assessments and a common understanding about what we need to do together," the Russian war leader told Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of China’s top command body the Central Military Commission.
