[…] The Kola Peninsula houses the Northern Fleet and has not only bases for submarines, surface vessels, naval infantry and large weapons depots. The region also has strategically important infrastructure such as the Olenya air base. From this base, Russian strategic bombers regularly set out on terror bombing raids against Ukrainian cities and towns. […]
Severomorsk is the headquarter base of the Northern Fleet, the most powerful of Russia’s five fleets. It located almost 2,000 km north of Ukrainian territory.
According to Professor Zysk, an attack against targets in the Kola Peninsula could stir increased regional tensions.
“It would certainly invite stronger protective measures from Russia and could be used to spread theories about Western involvement, thus alleviating the humiliation and exploiting the event to garner public support or at least weaken the criticism,” she told the Barents Observer.
“Depending on the circumstances of the attack, if Russia would have doubts about a possible indirect Western support, it could contribute to increased regional tensions, not least in the context of changes taking place in the strategic landscape following Finland’s and soon Sweden’s joining of NATO,” Zysk said. Läs artikel