A Russian military satellite came dangerously close to a Finnish satellite providing intelligence to Western governments, prompting warnings that it may have been a rehearsal for a larger attack.
Close Encounter in Orbit
US Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno said that last month, one of Russia's military satellites, Cosmos 2612, was conducting worrying movements. 'It was intentionally manoeuvring dangerously close to a commercial satellite,' he noted.
During the incident, the Russian satellite came shockingly close to Finnish satellite X36, operated by ICEYE. Experts worry the close call is a dress rehearsal for a larger attack.
Expert Warnings
Greg Gillinger, a space analyst connected to the US Space Force, told Reuters: 'This is the most aggressive posture I've seen Russia take in terms of threatening satellites from another nation.'
Russia has been increasing aggressive tactics against Western countries it views as a 'threat'.
Finland's Border Concerns
Metro ventured to the country's Russian border last summer after the Finnish government closed the eastern side of it following attempts by Russia to send an influx of 'refugees' into the country. Joel Linnainmäki, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told us at the time that there had been little to report since the border closed – but added that the Finnish government is still wary of Russian movement nearby.
Finland has erected a 10-foot fence, topped with barbed wire, to line a large portion of its border with Russia and stop illegal crossings. Satellite images in the past two years have shown a significant increase in barracks, aircraft and other infrastructure at four locations near the frontier, which would be a major staging ground for a potential Russian attack on Nato.
Military Buildup
Slowly, Russia is re-establishing the Leningrad military district for defensive capabilities – likely in hopes of using it for an offensive if it has the ability to do so in the future. Russia has been beefing up its military presence after Sweden and Finland joined NATO years ago in response to Russian threats made following its invasion of Ukraine.
Finland's membership extended Nato's border with Russia by more than 800 miles. Finland has also moved to strengthen its defences, and is currently setting up a new Nato forward command centre in Lapland.
Finland warned that Russia has already been attacking it with 'hybrid war' tactics such as massive cyberattacks and 'weaponised' mass migration. The Finnish government previously closed the eastern border, after accusing the Kremlin of helping around 1,300 people from Syria, Iraq and Yemen cross over it in 2023. Russia has denied the allegations, while Putin has dismissed claims he could attack Finland as 'total nonsense'.
