Finland completes 200km of fence along Russia border; 25 km stretch across Kainuu into Lapland
Work on the fencing along Finland’s 1,340-kilometer-long border with Russia began just over three years ago.
The construction of 200 kilometers of fencing along Finland’s eastern border with Russia was officially completed on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference near the Nuijamaa border, in the southeast of Finland, Interior Minister Mari Rantanen (Finns) said there may be a need to extend the fencing areas in the future.
“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’s border with Russia stretches to 1,340 kilometers, the longest frontier shared by any EU or Nato member nation with Russia.
Rantanen noted that the construction of the border fence was necessary as Europe’s security situation has changed significantly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as well as its use of various hybrid influencing operations.
“In this situation, every state must take care of its own security and the inviolability of its borders,” the minister stated.
Finland’s government has also proposed extending by another two years the validity of the Border Security Act. The act aims to “combat any attempts to put pressure on Finland, strengthen border security and prepare for the most serious incidents of instrumentalised migration”, an interior ministry press release said.
Instrumentalised migration refers to deliberate pushing of large numbers of asylum seekers to a border checkpoint as a hybrid warfare tactic.
Finland closed its border with Russia in late 2023 amid suspicions that its eastern neighbour was employing the tactic.
Construction took three years
In October 2022, Finland’s political party leaders reached a cross-party consensus on the urgent need to build partial fencing along the eastern border.
Work on the effort began with a pilot project in Pelkola, near the city of Imatra, in April 2023.
The longest sections of the fence are located in the southeast of Finland, totalling some 140 kilometres.
There is also about 35 kilometres of fence in the North Karelia region, while additional sections of about 25 kilometres stretch across Kainuu and into Finnish Lapland.
The overall cost of the project is estimated to be about 380 million euros, and the fencing was finished slightly ahead of schedule.
Related stories from around the North:
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Finland: Finland hails plan for allies to join NATO land forces in North, The Independent Barents Observer
Greenland: EU pledges €200M to Greenland hours before Trump posts map of island under U.S. flag, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: Iceland to seek new security partnerships after voters reject EU accession talks, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Norway’s ambassador summoned to Moscow foreign ministry as wave of propaganda hits the headlines, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: NATO’s Arctic moves pose ‘direct threat’ to Russia, foreign minister Lavrov says,The Associated Press
Sweden: British, Swedish and American reconnaissance aircraft monitor Russia’s Kola Peninsula, The Independent Barents Observer
United States: White House releases U.S. Arctic strategy implementation plan, Eye on the Arctic
