Reuters corrects translation error, Russia not sending artillery to Finnish border
Russia is not sending self-propelled artillery to be stationed near the Finnish border, despite an erroneous Reuters report to that effect.
This was due to a translation error that was corrected by Reuters a few hours later on Wednesday.
The Reuters story was originally based on information from the Russian news agency RIA. According to the Reuters translation, Russia would deploy howitzers in the Northern Military District, which straddles the border between Finland and Norway.
However, the original RIA story did not mention the Northern Military District.
The story used the abbreviation “SVO” in Russian, which stands for the Northern Military District, but this military district is now obsolete.
SVO also stands for special military operation, the term which Russia uses to describe the war in Ukraine.
The Northern Military District was active in the Soviet Union from 1951 to 1960. Today, the military units operating near the Finnish border are the Western Military District and the Northern Fleet.
The RIA story instead reported that the weapons will be sent to the front lines in Ukraine.
The weapon the article referred to is the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled artillery, a weapon built on a tank chassis. According to the Russian state news agency Tass, the weapon has a range of up to 70 kilometres.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: NATO chief tours Arctic defences as Canada comes under pressure, CBC News
Finland: Finland says traffic ‘intensifying’ on border with Russia, The Independent Barents Observer
Norway: Norway formally scraps Russia visa deal, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: From the Arctic tundra to the Ukrainian front, The Independent Barents Observer
United States: 2 Russians seek asylum after reaching remote Alaska island, The Associated Press
