Finland has completed a 200-kilometer fence along selected sections of its border with Russia, a project designed to strengthen security along the longest border between Russia and an EU or NATO member state.
The land border between Finland and Russia stretches for more than 1,340 kilometers, meaning the new barrier covers only parts of the frontier. Finnish authorities selected the locations based on risk assessments, focusing on areas where additional protection was considered most necessary and construction could be carried out most efficiently.
The fence stands about 4.5 meters high and includes a technical surveillance system, a patrol road and a 25-meter-wide strip of cleared vegetation. The design is intended to make monitoring the border easier and provide border guards with faster access to the barrier.
Around 140 kilometers of the fence has been built in southeastern Finland, while additional sections are located in North Karelia, Kainuu and Finnish Lapland.
The project cost approximately €356 million and, according to the Finnish Border Guard, was completed within its original budget. Construction required the use of land belonging to around 1,000 private owners, who received compensation from the state.
