By 2020, Russia will have increased the number of brigades from today’s 70 to 109, said General Colonel Aleksander Postnikov at a meeting in the Federation Council’s Committee for Defense and Security yesterday.
One of the new brigades is to be located in the settlement of Pechenga, some 10 kilometers from the Russian-Norwegian border and 50 kilometers from the Norwegian town of Kirkenes, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.
This brigade will be specially equipped for military warfare in Arctic conditions. It will be set up with DT-30P Vityaz tracked vehicles, in addition to multi-service army equipment, other armored vehicles and tanks.
Pechenga today hosts units from the 200. motorized infantry brigade.
According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta the U.S. and Canada are already establishing similar brigades, and the new Russian Polar Brigade will be located close to the border of Norway and Finland “to balance the situation”.
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