Finland has completed construction on a 200-kilometer (124-mile) fence along its eastern border with Russia, three years after the project began, the Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported Monday.
Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen presented the completed fence near a shuttered border crossing, saying the barrier addresses heightened security risks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and could be extended further.
“What we particularly need is EU funding for eastern member states so that projects like this can be financed,” Rantanen said.
The new fence cost 356 million euros ($413 million), with an estimated 2-3 million euros for annual maintenance, according to Finnish border authorities.
The barbed wire fence spans Finland’s southeastern border with Russia and parts of its eastern flank. It features patrol roads, loudspeakers, night lighting and surveillance cameras.
