Finland Finishes Building Border Fence Along Russian Frontier
Finland has completed a 200-kilometer fence along its eastern border with Russia, three years after construction began. The interior minister said the barrier responds to heightened security risks stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Finland's public broadcaster Yle reported Monday that the country has finished building a fence along roughly 200 kilometers of its border with Russia, wrapping up a project launched three years ago.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen unveiled the completed structure near a closed border crossing, explaining that it addresses growing security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She said the fence could potentially be extended further and called for EU funding to help eastern member states carry out similar projects.
Cost and Features
Finnish border authorities put the construction cost at 356 million euros, with annual upkeep expected to run 2-3 million euros. The barbed-wire barrier covers Finland's southeastern border with Russia along with sections of its eastern flank, and includes patrol roads, loudspeakers, night lighting and surveillance cameras.
Finland and Russia share an 833-mile border, the longest of any EU or NATO country. Comparable fences already exist in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland along their borders with Belarus, built to curb migrant crossings.
Border Closures and Next Steps
Finland has kept its eastern border crossings with Russia closed indefinitely since December 2023, after a surge of asylum seekers that Helsinki described as a so-called hybrid attack in response to Finland joining NATO in April 2023. The Kremlin has denied the accusation.
Over the summer, Russia shut five railway crossings with Finland without explaining why or indicating when they might reopen. Last week, Finland's government proposed extending its Border Security Act — a temporary law letting border guards turn away asylum seekers under certain conditions — through Dec. 31, 2028.
