Latvia completes fence along entire border with Russia

Latvia has completed the construction of a fence along its entire border with Russia, finalising a major infrastructure project aimed at strengthening national security.

According to the state-owned company Valsts Nekustamie Ipasumi (VNI), the final phase of the project involved commissioning 72 kilometres of the 99-kilometre fence built by Igate. In total, the fencing along the Latvian–Russian border now stretches for about 280 kilometres, forming a continuous physical barrier wherever technical conditions allow.

The overall cost of the project had previously been estimated at €146 million.

Latvia’s Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis said the completion of the fence along the borders with Russia and Belarus represents a significant contribution to Latvia’s national security and to the protection of the European Union’s external border. He added that the border will continue to be equipped with modern technological surveillance systems.

Work is also continuing in parallel on additional infrastructure, including patrol roads, bridges, and various engineering structures.

During the summer, Latvia launched the final stage of construction on a further 41 kilometres of sections along the border with Russia, including areas of marshland. The main construction work on these sections is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

VNI is also overseeing projects along Latvia’s border with Belarus. There, construction of the main fence with a total length of nearly 145 kilometres was completed in July 2024, with final infrastructure works on certain sections scheduled to be finished by spring 2026.

Separately, authorities noted that the technological outfitting of Latvia’s entire external land border is planned to be completed by the end of 2026.

Media previously reported that Estonia has begun building the first concrete bunkers along its southeastern border with Russia as part of the Baltic Defence Line. The initial phase includes the installation of 28 bunkers, seven of which have already been delivered and are being prepared for installation near the municipality of Setomaa.

The full network is expected to include 600 fortification structures, forming part of a multilayered defence system on NATO’s eastern flank. In addition, nearly a 40-kilometre anti-tank trench is to be constructed along Estonia’s southeastern border over the next two years.

It was also reported that Estonia’s opposition party has introduced a bill proposing the complete closure of the border with Russia.