Russian General Alexander Lapin could be appointed commander of the new Leningrad Military District, Russian media reports. Lapin lost command post during the Ukraine war - sharp criticism from senior military officials.
With Lapin, a controversial Russian military would take over the helm at the NATO border. Putin had previously announced a stronger military presence in the Russian-Finnish border area and justified this with Finland's accession to NATO. A US-based think tank estimates that the new military districts indicate that Putin is preparing for a possible war with NATO in the future.