Finland completes section of Russia border fence amid security, migration concerns

Finland on Monday completed construction of 200 kilometers (124 miles) of fencing along its border with Russia, public broadcaster Yle reported.

The fence covers part of Finland’s 1,340-km (834-mi) border with Russia, the longest border with Russia with any EU or NATO member state.

Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said further sections could be considered in the future and called for EU funding to support border security projects in eastern member states.

Rantanen said the fence was necessary as Europe’s security situation changed following the 2022 start of the Russia-Ukraine war and what she described as various hybrid influencing operations.

Finland closed its border with Russia in late 2023 amid suspicions that Moscow was deliberately directing asylum seekers toward the border as a form of hybrid pressure.

The government also proposed extending its Border Security Act for another two years.

The legislation is aimed at strengthening border security and preparing for serious cases of what authorities call “instrumentalized migration.”

Construction began with a pilot project near the city of Imatra in 2023 after Finnish political parties the previous year reached a cross-party agreement on the need for partial fencing along the border.

The project cost an estimated €380 million ($443 million) and was completed slightly ahead of schedule.

Around 140 km (87 mi) of fencing were built in southeastern Finland, with additional sections in North Karelia, Kainuu, and Finnish Lapland.

The Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939. The Winter War, as it is known, lasted for over three months and despite heavy losses, the USSR won.