Finland's most important canal runs through Russia, who moved an anti-ship missile unit nearby

[muriel_volestrangler]

Link to tweet

Russian Bastion Anti-Ship missile unit on the move west of Vyborg.
That road leads to Finland along the Saimaa Canal. It's about 26km from the Finnish border and 7km from the lowest lock of the canal that is rented to Finland.

Saimaa Canal

The most important of Finland’s canals, the Saimaa Canal is 43 kilometres long and connects Saimaa to the Gulf of Finland. Nearly half of the Saimaa Canal runs through a land area leased from Russia. The canal’s eight locks are controlled from the remote control centres at Mälkiä and Brusnitchnoe.

https://vayla.fi/en/transport-network/waterways/canals-and-bridges/the-saimaa-canal

According to the Statistics Finland, freight traffic by the Saimaa Canal amounted to 1.33 mn tons during 2021, up 3.9% year-on-year.

1,103 cargo vessels transited the Canal during the period under report, up 1.8% year-on-year. 600 of them, or 54.4% of the total number of foreign (that is, non-Finnish) vessels were flying the Russian flag, down 0.7% year-on-year.

https://seanews.ru/en/2022/02/10/en-freight-traffic-by-saimaa-canal-up-2-in-2021/

Which seems like a message, given the Finland move to join NATO.

[Sherman A1]

1. It is a very clear message to Finland 🇫🇮

I don’t see it as doing any more than confirming their need to join the alliance.

[ahimsa]

2. Didn't that used be in Finland?

Before the USSR took it in the ‘40s? Not sure threatening the area is making the point they think it is or maybe they are just doubling down as usual.

[The Revolution]

3. Yep

They took it from Finland during WW2/Winter War. The Finns relocated the population.

During WW2, the Allies declared war on Germany because they attacked Poland. Meanwhile our friends the Russians were minding their own business........attacking Poland? Oh, and Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland.... Wait, why were they on our side again?

[haele]

4. Most Finns are watchful but snarking.

They're used to Russian military movements in that area, and have a low opinion on the condition of forces there after "decades of both Soviet and Russian mismanagement". That area is also very boggy in the late spring/early summer.

I'd be a bit more concerned about the single Russian carrier that's being towed to a portage near Gottland. If nothing else, the Russians can use it as a floating flight line until the paint stops holding together the un-rusted buts of hull.

Haele