“Finland has agreed to station a NATO armored brigade on its soil. The new unit, consisting of 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers and officers, is being formed and will be based in the city of Mikkeli (named for the Archangel Michael), near the Russian border (about 140 Km, facing St.Petersburg, about 200 Km up the main highway from Helsinki), reports the Finnish news outlet Iltalehti, citing sources within the North Atlantic Alliance and security services…
…Swedish and Norwegian military personnel will be part of this armored brigade. Public announcements from NATO officials and Finnish authorities are expected in the coming weeks. “The decisions have already been made,” Iltalehti confirms, citing its sources.
A NATO headquarters will be established in Mikkeli (the location of Finland’s Military HQ in WWII) to oversee the military operations, reporting directly to the alliance’s headquarters in Norfolk, on the US East Coast. Planning for the headquarters has been underway since last spring, according to Iltalehti. Deputy Commander of NATO Joint Operations Command in Norfolk, British Rear Admiral Tim Henry, visited Mikkeli during that period. “We want to send a direct message to the Russians—and do so publicly. The alliance is very clear in its position: Russia poses a threat to the Euro-Atlantic region,” Henry emphasized during his visit.
Finland joined NATO in 2023, ending a 75-year period of neutrality. As a result, NATO’s shared border with Russia doubled, stretching to 2,600 kilometers.”
https://www.uawire.org/finland-to-station-up-to-5-000-nato-troops-near-russian-border#
“In a significant development from the Kursk region, Ukrainian Forces have eliminated Zelimkhan Batukayev, a Russian special forces commander known by his call sign “Shustryi,” along with approximately 30 other Russian soldiers. Batukayev, who led the Akhmat Special Forces Group, was taken down according to various Telegram channels, including one managed by Ukrainian Colonel Anatoliy “Stirlitz” Shtefan. Ukrainian fighters described the operation as “epic,” stating they had been tracking the group since they arrived in the Kursk area…
…Batukayev’s death comes amid a growing trend of residents in the Kursk region providing information on the whereabouts of Kadyrov forces to Ukrainian Defense Forces. On August 11, it was revealed that a Russian conscript from the Kursk region disclosed Kadyrov forces’ positions, motivated by revenge after being sexually assaulted by Kadyrov fighters.”
https://www.uawire.org/ukrainian-forces-eliminate-prominent-chechen-commander-in-the-kursk-region