Finland fences Russian border to foil 'hybrid warfare'

Finland has recently completed a 200-kilometer barrier along its border with Russia, as reported by the Finnish public broadcaster YLE News. The barrier consists of a metal fence, an adjacent road, and a cleared forest strip equipped with surveillance cameras, lights, and loudspeakers. The project cost Finland 356 million euros, and its annual maintenance is estimated at 1.5 million euros.

The fence spans 17 municipalities from Lapland to the coast of the Gulf of Finland, traversing land owned by approximately 1,000 individuals. The state compensated landowners a total of about 3 million euros for land taken by the barrier. Landowner Raimo Jokela challenged the project in court, claiming the fence reduced his income from leasing farmland, but the court rejected his request to reroute the fence.

Finland initiated discussions about the project in the fall of 2022 after Russia mobilized forces and nearly 17,000 Russians entered Finland in a single weekend in late 2022. Construction began in the spring of 2023. The Russian-Finnish border stretches about 1,300 kilometers, and the completed fence covers dispersed sections along its length.

In the fall of 2023, Finnish authorities closed the border with Russia due to a surge in foreigners attempting to cross from Russia. From August to December, 1,300 asylum seekers entered the country, predominantly from Syria, Somalia, and Yemen. Finnish officials suspect Russia orchestrated the migration crisis by channeling individuals to the border.

Russia denies these allegations. The Baltic states, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, have also built or have built barriers along their borders with Russia.