Finland completes 200-km fence along border with Russia

Finland has completed a 200-km barrier fence along with Russian border, said Finnish Border Guard in a press release on Monday.

The Finnish authority started the extensive construction of the eastern border fence in August 2024 in Nuijamaa, which completed at a cost of 378 during the last two years.

The original cost became about 22 million euros higher than the estimation.

The border fence was constructed to those areas where the operative need for it is the greatest, based on a risk assessment, and where the construction is cost-efficient.

The border fence consists of a 4.5-meter-high fence, technical surveillance system, road network and a 25-meter-wide clearing.

“The state’s most important duty is to see to the safety of its nationals. The eastern border fence is a necessary part of an effective border surveillance system in these unpredictable times,” said Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen in the press release.

Moreover, the project is also important on European scale, since Finland as a Schengen Member State at external border is, for its part, responsible for European border safety, she said.

“The eastern border fence is necessary in the current security situation. Without the border fence, it is not possible to control instrumentalised migration in an efficient and credible manner ensuring occupational safety. Moreover, the border fence also furthers effective border surveillance, situational awareness and mobility of our patrols,” said Chief of the Finnish Border Guard, Vice Admiral Markku Hassinen.

The Eastern Border Fence project has been an exceptionally extensive infrastructure project in Finland. Hundreds of companies have participated in the project as suppliers, and up to 600 people and 150 machines have worked at the construction sites on a daily basis.

Moreover, the response of the approximately 1 000 land owners has been constructive and cooperative throughout the project.