Finland begins construction of a fence on the border with Russia

15 April, 2023 Construction of the first section of the fence on the border between Finland and Russia. April 2023. Photo credits: Finnish border guard

Finland has started construction of the first section of a fence on the border with the Russian Federation, the border service of the country reports. The border barrier fence will be a new and important part of border control and will strengthen Finland's preparedness for hybrid security threats, such as a potential mass influx of migrants. The parliament provided funding for the project, and preparations for construction began in February 2023.

The first section of the barrier fence is being built near the checkpoint not far from the city of Imatra. Its length reaches about 3 kilometers. This is a pilot project, which is planned to be completed in June 2023.

Six million euros were allocated for construction.

Construction of the first section of the fence on the border between Finland and Russia. April 2023. Photo credits: Finnish border guard

At the stage of construction of the first section of the fence, the Finnish authorities want to check whether the fence will withstand winter frosts, the load from snow or a possible influx of migrants from the east.

"The pilot offers us the chance to find out the best practices for management, implementation, level of costs and the actual construction of the fence. Through this we can ensure success in the next phases of this project," says Brigadier General Jari Tolppanen, Head of the Technical Division of the Border Guard Headquarters. Next to the fence, a road will be built for the movement of border guards and repair work.

The fence will be assembled from a steel mesh, and a barbed wire will be installed on top of it. The fence will be 3 meters high, while being equipped with video surveillance and floodlights. At the next stage of the works, it is planned to build about 75 kilometers of border fences - first of all, near the border crossing points and the areas adjacent to them in the south-east of Finland.

Finnish border guards.

Photo credits: Petras Malukas/AFP

Finland has calculated that the expected cost of building a fence on certain sections of the border with Russia will cost the Finnish budget EUR139 million.

Currently, Finland has a forest-covered state border with Russia, which is only marked with signs and plastic lines for most of its 1,300 km (810 mile) length.