Finland completes major fence project on border with Russia

Finland has officially completed construction of a 200-kilometre security fence along its eastern border with Russia, Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said.

Speaking at a press conference near the Nuijamaa border crossing in southeastern Finland, Rantanen said the country could consider expanding the fencing in the future, Yle reports.

"I think it's good that at some point we assess whether more of this is needed. What we particularly need is EU funding for eastern member states so that projects like this can be financed," Rantanen said.

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia, the longest such frontier between Russia and any EU or NATO member state. Rantanen said the fence had become necessary as Europe’s security environment has changed significantly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and what Finland describes as various hybrid influence operations.

"In this situation, every state must take care of its own security and the inviolability of its borders," the minister stated.

The Finnish government has also proposed extending the Border Security Act for another two years. According to the Interior Ministry, the legislation aims to "combat any attempts to put pressure on Finland, strengthen border security and prepare for the most serious incidents of instrumentalised migration".

The term “instrumentalised migration” refers to the deliberate movement of large numbers of asylum seekers toward a border crossing as a form of hybrid warfare.

Finland closed its border with Russia in late 2023 amid accusations that Moscow was facilitating such migration. In October 2022, Finnish political parties reached a cross-party consensus on the need to urgently construct sections of fencing along the eastern frontier.

Work began with a pilot project near Pelkola, close to the city of Imatra, in April 2023. The longest sections are located in southeastern Finland and span approximately 140 kilometres. Another 35 kilometres of fencing has been built in North Karelia, while around 25 kilometres extends across Kainuu and into Finnish Lapland.

The overall cost of the project is estimated at approximately €380 million. Construction was completed slightly ahead of schedule.

By Vafa Guliyeva