By Riffat Kausar
Bureau Chief
SNN News Finland
Finland completes 200 kilometres of fencing along its eastern border with Russia after three years of construction and a cost of €356 million. The finished barrier stands 4.5 metres high and is fitted with cameras and sensors, but it still covers only about 15 percent of the country’s 1,340-kilometre frontier. Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said more may follow if security needs continue to grow.
The project was officially completed on Monday at an event near Nuijamaa, in south-eastern Finland completes.
Rantanen told reporters that the fence is only part of a wider border surveillance system. “I think it’s good that at some point we assess whether more of this is needed,” she said. “What we particularly need is EU funding for eastern member states so that projects like this can be financed.”
A 4.5-metre barrier after three years of work
Work began in April 2023 with a pilot project in Pelkola, near Imatra. Large-scale construction followed in Nuijamaa in August 2024, and the final stretch was finished slightly ahead of schedule. The Border Guard built the longest sections in the south-east, about 140 kilometres, with additional stretches in North Karelia and across Kainuu into Finnish Lapland.
The fence itself is not just a simple physical barrier. It sits alongside patrol roads and a 25-metre-wide cleared strip, giving border guards better sightlines and faster access when incidents occur. Surveillance cameras and sensors are embedded throughout the completed sections.
According to the Border Guard, the project finished €22 million below its original budget. Ongoing maintenance is estimated at roughly €1.5 million per year.
What the fence covers and what it doesn’t
Even after €356 million in spending, the finished line still represents only a fraction of the border with Russia.
That gap reflects both cost and geography. The decision to build in selected sections was based on security assessments that showed the greatest operational need and the highest cost-effectiveness, rather than a plan to seal the entire frontier.
Rantanen stressed that the state’s first duty is the safety of its nationals, but she did not commit to a second phase beyond saying the issue should be reassessed.
The government has also proposed extending the Border Security Act by another two years. That law is meant to combat attempts to pressure Finland, strengthen border security and prepare for large-scale irregular migration.
Moscow’s hybrid tactics and Finland’s response
The decision to build any fence at all followed a cross-party political consensus in October 2022, months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Finnish leaders said the war had fundamentally changed Europe’s security outlook and that hybrid threats from Moscow were no longer theoretical.
Finland completes closed its eastern border crossings in late 2023 after accusing Russia of directing asylum seekers toward the frontier.
The phenomenon, often described as instrumentalised migration, involves pushing large numbers of migrants to a border checkpoint as a form of pressure. Moscow has denied responsibility.
Chief of the Finnish Border Guard Markku Hassinen said the new infrastructure improves patrol mobility, situational awareness and the authorities’ ability to respond to irregular crossings.
Key facts
- 200 kilometres of fencing completed along Finland’s eastern border with Russia
- Construction took three years, finishing slightly ahead of schedule
- Total cost: €356 million, €22 million below budget
- Fence height: 4.5 metres, with cameras, sensors, patrol roads and a 25-metre cleared strip
- Covers about 15% of the 1,340-kilometre frontier
- Longest section: about 140 kilometres in south-eastern Finland
- Maintenance cost: roughly €1.5 million per year
- Government proposes extending the Border Security Act by two years
- Finland completes
FAQs:
How long is the Finland completes-Russia border?
Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre frontier with Russia, the longest border any EU or NATO member state has with Moscow.
Why did Finland build the fence?
Finnish leaders cited changed security conditions after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, plus concerns about hybrid threats and instrumentalised migration.
How much of the border is now fenced?
About 200 kilometres, or roughly 15 percent, of the total frontier.
Will more fence be built?
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said Helsinki may extend the fence if future assessments show it is needed, but that depends on securing EU funding for eastern member states.
When did construction start?
Work began in April 2023 with a pilot project near Imatra; large-scale construction started in Nuijamaa in August 2024.
Looking ahead
Finland completes accession to NATO in 2023 turned the fence into more than a national project. It is now part of the defence perimeter of the world’s largest military alliance. The completed sections mark a concrete shift in how Helsinki views its 1,340-kilometre eastern edge: from an open frontier to a monitored and partially fortified boundary.
Whether that hardening will continue depends partly on how much money the EU is willing to send to member states on its eastern flank. Rantanen made clear that she expects Brussels to share the cost if the fence is to grow beyond the first 200 kilometres.
Norway’s seizure of a Russian vessel near Svalbard and the opening of a new Russia-North Korea bridge show how Arctic and eastern European infrastructure have become arenas for broader geopolitical competition.
Verified by Scandinavian News Agency Finland.
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