Satellite images show Russia restocking bases near NATO borders
Analysts cited by Novaya Gazeta Europe say Russian depots emptied early in the Ukraine war are filling again with new and repaired armour.
Russian military storage bases that emptied in the early years of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine are being refilled with tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery, according to satellite-image analysis described by the independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe, citing journalists at Vazhnyye Istorii and Radio Svoboda along with open-source analysts.
At the 22nd Central Tank Reserve Base in Buy, in Russia's Kostroma region, new T-90M tanks and BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers appeared between autumn 2025 and October 2026, the analysts said. The equipment came directly from factories rather than being repaired vehicles, they said. The base lies roughly 500 kilometres from the borders of NATO members Estonia and Latvia.
In Karelia, close to the Finnish border, a mobilisation-support centre has received new Malva and Hyacinth-K self-propelled artillery systems since 2025, according to the analysis. At a base in Topchikha, in Russia's Altai region, up to 78 tanks and more than a hundred infantry fighting vehicles appeared over the summer, which analyst Jonpy said were likely refurbished older-model T-72B3M tanks and BMP-2 vehicles.
The reports said deliveries to these bases are reserve stock rather than equipment already assigned to units ready for deployment to the front. Journalist Mark Krutov said Russia's army had partly shifted from massed armoured columns to smaller infantry groups because of vehicles' vulnerability to drones, while factories continued producing and repairing equipment.
Krutov said the accumulated vehicles could be intended for a possible future confrontation with NATO, whose armies he said are currently less prepared than Ukraine's for large-scale drone warfare. Moscow denies any plan to attack NATO members.
The findings follow earlier reporting in June by journalists from Scandinavian and Baltic outlets describing continued Russian construction and upgrades at military sites near NATO's northern borders. Danish intelligence warned in September of a low but growing risk of a limited Russian attack on a NATO country in the coming months, while US intelligence raised a similar possibility in August.
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What we know
- Satellite images analysed by OSINT researchers show new and repaired armour arriving at Russian storage bases.
- A base near Buy, about 500 km from Estonia and Latvia, received new T-90M tanks and BTR-82A vehicles since autumn 2025.
- A base in Karelia, near Finland, has received new Malva and Hyacinth-K artillery systems since 2025.
- Up to 78 tanks and more than 100 infantry vehicles arrived at a base in Topchikha over the summer.
- Analysts say the equipment is reserve stock, not vehicles assigned to front-line units.
Not yet confirmed
- Russia's intended purpose for the restocked equipment.
Why it matters for Europe
The restocking of bases near Estonia, Latvia and Finland comes as Danish and US intelligence agencies have separately warned of a growing, if still low, risk of a limited Russian military test of NATO's defences. Continued construction and equipment build-up near the alliance's eastern and northern borders adds to months of similar reporting by Nordic and Baltic journalists.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Which Russian bases are being restocked?
- Reported sites include bases near Buy (close to Estonia and Latvia), in Karelia (near Finland) and in Topchikha in the Altai region.
- Is the equipment ready for front-line use?
- Analysts say it is reserve stock at storage bases, not equipment assigned to deployable units.
- Does Russia plan to attack NATO?
- Moscow denies any such plan; intelligence agencies in Denmark and the US have each described a low but growing risk of a limited test of NATO's defences.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.