Finland Finishes Building 200-km Fence on Russian Border

HELSINKI — Finland has finished building a 200-kilometre fence along part of its border with Russia. The Finnish Border Guard said the project is now complete.

The fence is about 3.5 metres high. It has metal barriers, cameras, sensors, lights, and roads for border guards. It cost about 380 million euros.

Finland and Russia share a border of about 1,340 kilometres. The new fence covers only about 200 kilometres. Most of it is in the south-east, where border crossings are busier.

Finland began the work after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Finland joined NATO, a military alliance, in 2023. Later that year, Finland closed its eastern border crossings after many asylum seekers arrived. Asylum seekers are people who ask for protection in another country. Finland said Russia was using them to cause problems. Russia denied this.

Officials said the fence is not a full wall. They said it will help guards watch the border, stop illegal crossings, and react faster.

The first test fence was built in Imatra in 2023. It was about 3 kilometres long. Workers then built the rest in stages.

Finland says the fence is an important part of its border security. It wants to keep its border safe and orderly.