60°16′46″N 21°45′54″E / 60.279491°N 21.765115°E / 60.279491; 21.765115

Säckilot (Finnish: Säkkiluoto)[1] is an island located in Southwest Finland, Finland.[2] The island contains nine piers and a helipad.[3] The island is part of an archipelago administered from Pargas.[3]

History

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The island is reportedly owned by a 54-year-old Russian businessman from St. Petersburg named Pavel Melnikov.[3] On September 22, 2018, more than 400 Finnish police and military officials raided the island.[3] There is speculation that Melnikov secretly works for the Russian military owing to the "helipads, multiple docks, barrack-like structures and location near Finnish military facilities".[4]

References

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  1. ^ Häggblom, Robin (September 23, 2018). "A Dawn Raid in the Archipelago". Corporal Frisk.
  2. ^ "Säkkiluoto rocks, Province of Western Finland, Finland". Säkkiluoto is a rocks and is located in Varsinais-Suomi, Province of Western Finland, Finland. Variant forms of spelling for Säkkiluoto or in other languages: Säkkiluoto (fi), Säckilot (sv), Sackilot, Sakkiluoto, Säckilot, Säkkiluoto.
  3. ^ a b c d Higgins, Andrew; Erlanger, Steven; Lemola, Johanna; Matsnev, Oleg (October 31, 2018). "On a Tiny Finnish Island, a Helipad, 9 Piers — and the Russian Military?". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Higgins, Andrew (November 3, 2018). "Finish soldiers find "secret Russian military bases" after raiding mysterious island". The Independent.