Putin started preparing for a possible large -scale war against NATO - isw (map)

American analysts believe that the statement of the Russian President on the need to create the Leningrad military district after Finland's accession to NATO signaled the Kremlin's readiness to resist NATO. On February 26, President Vladimir Putin signed two decrees that formally restore the Moscow and Leningrad military districts, which corresponds to Moscow's preparing for military aggression against the North Atlantic Alliance on February 26.

This is stated in the report of the Institute of War Study (ISW) of February 26. According to analysts, the mentioned decree of the Russian President officially disbandes the Western Military District (ZGO), which the Ministry of Defense of Russia formed in 2010 by connecting the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

It is reported that the HUD covered the Russian border with Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic States, and its strategic tasks included monitoring the operations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine after the start of a full -scale war, as well as preparation for possible confrontation with NATO. According to ISW, the LVO will now run along the northeastern NATO border, and the MVO-along the northeastern part of Ukraine and Poland.

Analysts believe that this will allow Moscow to "take a position" against NATO and simplify the command and management of hostilities in Ukraine. The authors of the report also indicated that Putin mentioned the need for the formation of the LCO after Finland entered NATO in 2023. According to analysts, the politician thus signaled the Kremlin's intention to use NATO.

"The reproduction of the MFO and the LVO meets the parallel goals of consolidation of control over Russian operations in Ukraine in the short and medium -term perspectives and preparation for a potential future large -scale conventional war against NATO in the long run," - summed up in ISW.