Putin (center) on an inspection visit a few years ago to Kirilovsky Square in the Leningrad region (European)

Moscow -

The lines of contact and virtual rules of engagement between Russia and NATO countries are likely to become more heated after Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent decision to reconfigure the Moscow and Leningrad military regions, according to what Russian observers believe.

Putin had issued a presidential decree stipulating changing the military administrative division of the Russian forces, so that the central and eastern military regions would be maintained, and the Moscow and Leningrad military regions would be established.

In addition, according to the same decree, the Northern Fleet no longer enjoyed its previous status, as a military district within administrative borders, but rather became part of the newly formed Leningrad Military District, which, along with the Moscow Military District, is considered the closest to Sweden and Finland.

The trend towards re-establishing the Leningrad and Moscow military regions dates back to 2022, as indicated at the time by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, commenting on Finland and Sweden announcing their desire to join NATO.

Putin while attending the graduation of a new military batch in Moscow (Reuters)

brief history

The Moscow Military District was formed in 1864 as part of the military reforms of Emperor Alexander II and existed until 2010. On the eve of its dissolution, the district covered, in addition to the capital, 18 central districts.

In 1990, after the Soviet Union signed the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, Moscow accepted restrictions on the deployment of military formations and units in the northwestern Soviet Union, and later in Russia.

On this basis, in 2010 the region was completely dissolved.

As for the Leningrad Military District, its establishment dates back to 1918, and like the Moscow Military District, it was dissolved in 2010. It was considered the smallest Russian military district, as the number of ground and air forces in it reached about 29,000 individuals.

On the basis of the existing Leningrad and Moscow military districts, the Western Military District was formed in September 2010.

The Moscow Military District includes, in addition to the city and district of Moscow, Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Kostroma, Kursk, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tambov, Tver, Tula and Yaroslavl.

As for the Leningrad region, it includes the city of Saint Petersburg and its district, in addition to the Republic of Karelia, the Republic of Komi, Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Novgorod, Pskov and the Nenets Autonomous Oblast.

A new geopolitical situation

Director of the Center for Political Predictions, Denis Krkodonov, considers that the re-establishment of the Leningrad and Moscow military regions was an expected decision and constituted one of the reactions to Finland's accession to NATO and Sweden's aspiration to join the alliance.

He said in an interview with Al Jazeera Net that the Leningrad Military District will be responsible for repelling threats emanating from the Baltic countries, Scandinavian countries, and Finland, while the Moscow Military District will deal with the European and Ukrainian regions.

He explains that since 2022, the geopolitical situation in the world has changed dramatically after Finland joined NATO countries, and Sweden is moving at full speed in the same direction.

According to him, if Finland was previously neutral, even in formal terms, it has now become a hostile country.

Hence, it has become urgent to establish a separate command for the northwestern strategic axis, charged with developing updated combat plans, covering all parts of the entire region from Kaliningrad to Murmansk.

As for the Moscow Military District, it will deal with the European direction, including Belarus and Ukraine.

As for military affairs analyst, Alexei Arbatov, he describes the decision as a return to Soviet traditions in military administrative divisions, but taking into account the changes that occurred in the new geostrategic situation, and new weapons and technologies for the armed forces.

Effects of the destruction of a Ukrainian missile in Belgorod, Russia (French)

A necessary step

Arbatov points out that under the Soviet Union, Finland and Sweden were not considered adversaries, but rather were neutral countries.

But now two clear new enemies have emerged that did not exist during the Soviet Union, and threats that did not exist before have emerged.

In his speech, the expert points out that the re-establishment of two military regions in Russia instead of one western region constitutes a necessary step for the country to deal with the growing disparity between the traditional armed forces of Russia and NATO countries, and in general the alliance’s general line towards confrontation with Russia, as well as the entry of Finland and Sweden into it.

While emphasizing that NATO is superior to Russia in the number of conventional forces and in some other capabilities, Arbatov believes that this difference in military capabilities can be settled by relying on tactical nuclear weapons, which, in his opinion, should be returned from storage depots directly to the forces, at least to Missile brigades with tactical operational missile systems and some ships of the Northern Fleet and Baltic Fleet.

He adds to the list of reasons the expansion of Russian territory with the accession of the four regions (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye) to Russia, and thus “it has become completely logical for them to become part of the Southern Military District, which is important.”

He points out the need to take into account the solution of military, administrative and other tasks related to combat training, logistics, and mobilization resources, which would ultimately lead to improving the command and control system there and throughout the country.

Source: Al Jazeera