Russian military authorities announced on 7 August that a permanent helicopter base will become operational on the Suursaar island, in the Gulf of Finland, very close to the coasts and territorial waters of Estonia and Finland.
Kalev Stoicescu, research fellow at the ICDS, stated on the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) TV news programme “Aktuaalne Kaamera” that the helicopter base is yet another escalatory step by Russia in pushing its military presence further west, and literally attempting to suffocate its immediate neighbours with offensive military capabilities.
Watch the interview broadcasted on 9 August in Estonian on ERR.
Filed under: NewsTagged with: Defence Planning, Defence Policy & Strategy, Deterrence, Russia