Norway strengthens border security with Russia New towers, detection sensors and drones

The Norwegian police, in cooperation with the country’s armed forces, are upgrading the surveillance system along the border with Russia, the Norwegian National Police Directorate said.

Norway has allocated about 191 million kroner (€16.4 million) for this purpose. The funds are intended to significantly enhance the border monitoring system along the Norwegian-Russian frontier, RIA Novosti reports.

A special interagency steering group has been established to oversee the modernisation process. During its first meeting, members of the group inspected a section of the border near the former Skafferhullet checkpoint, where the upgrades are set to begin.

The police noted that the modernisation includes testing new observation towers and advanced detection sensors. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will also be introduced in certain areas, said Ellen Katrine Hætta, Chief of Police in the Finnmark province.

Norway, a NATO member, shares a border with Russia that stretches for almost 198 kilometres. The crisis of 2015, during which 5,000 migrants from third countries entered Norway from Russia, was the impetus for the construction of a fence along this border in 2016. The fence is 3.5 meters high.

At the end of 2023, the Finnish government temporarily closed all border crossings with Russia after more than 1,300 migrants from third countries entered the country from Russia without the proper documents and visas. Observers considered this a hybrid attack by Russia against Finland, which joined NATO amid the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine.

By Khagan Isayev