Russia has deployed nuclear missiles toward its border with Finland following the Nordic country's announcement that it intended to seek NATO membership, it was reported Monday.
Finland's government declared a "new era" was under way after announcing its NATO intention hours before Sweden's governing party on Sunday backed a plan to join the Western alliance amid Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Sun reported that dashcam video caught Russian mobile Iskander missiles being transported Monday to Vyborg — just 24 miles from the Finnish border.
Audio in the clip suggested a "new military unit is about to be formed."
"As soon as the president of Finland said they were joining NATO, a whole division of Iskanders, seven of them … is moving towards Vyborg,” the voice in the video said, The Sun reported. "Looks like a new military unit is about to be formed in Vyborg or the region.
"All the equipment is new, Ural trucks are driving it. So get ready Finns, to join NATO. New Urals, seven Iskanders, looks like a new military unit is being formed — well done."
The short-range Iskander missiles, with a range of up to 310 miles, are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. They also can be deployed for bunker-busting and anti-radar missions, The Sun said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Finland and Sweden joining the Western alliance would be a "mistake.”
One Russia official said Monday that the West should have no illusions that Moscow will put up with the Nordic expansion of the U.S.-led NATO alliance to include Sweden and Finland, casting the move as a mistake that would stoke military tension.
"They should have no illusions that we will simply put up with it — and nor should Brussels, Washington and other NATO capitals," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the state RIA news agency.
Russia has given few clues about what it would do in response to the Nordic enlargement of NATO, saying merely that there would be a "military-technical response."
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on Sunday described Putin as "calm" during a phone call over news that Finland would join NATO. Finland has been neutral for 75 years.
"When I called him, I wanted just to confirm that now the situation has changed," Niinistö told CNN. "We are going to apply for membership. And in the same way he confirmed that he thinks it's a mistake. 'We are not threatening you.' All together the discussion was very, what I would say, calm and cool."
Reuters contributed to this story.
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