Russia is building a new military base near the border with Finland, in the Novaya Vilga area near Petrozavodsk. Reports of this facility began to emerge in Russia after Pavel Fradkov, the Russian Deputy Minister of Defence, personally inspected the progress of the construction work.
Preparatory work began in November 2025, and large-scale construction has been underway since the winter. To date, the first four buildings have been completed; these are reportedly intended to house units of the newly formed 44th Army Corps of the Leningrad Military District, with their projected strength potentially reaching
15–16 thousand military personnel.
The construction and expansion of these facilities are accompanied by official project documentation which specifies that the new structures are intended solely for military purposes. The choice of a location for the base in the immediate vicinity of Petrozavodsk, a civilian centre, indicates an intention to ensure a steady intake of contract soldiers, for whom proximity to the city and the opportunity to maintain contact with their families are important.