Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said that Finland and Sweden joining Nato has led to an increase in military threats near the border and that Moscow is taking "adequate countermeasures". Mr Shoigu said Russia would respond by forming 12 new units in its western military district.
Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the western defence alliance Nato on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Russia on 24th February launched the war on Ukraine. And, according to the latest updates, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the Donbas, where Russia is now concentrating its main effort, has been “completely destroyed”. Russia has said a further 771 Ukrainian troops have “surrendered” at Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal steelworks, bringing the total number to 1,730 this week, while the International Committee of the Red Cross said it had started registering the Ukrainian prisoners of war who left the plant. It is not clear how many remain at the plant. Also, Russia’s promise to use lasers to shoot down drones in Ukraine has prompted widespread scepticism that the novel and possibly nuclear-powered weaponry could be deployed on the battlefield or have any significant impact on the war.