Finland begins building 200-kilometre fence along Russian border

Authored by abc.net.au and submitted by StopTheGregSign
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Finland has begun constructing its planned 200-kilometre fence on the Russian border, amid fears within Helsinki that Moscow could use migrant flows at the frontier for political purposes.

Key points: The fence is expected to cost about $597 million

The fence is expected to cost about $597 million Russia and Finland share a 1,300 kilometre border

Russia and Finland share a 1,300 kilometre border The fence is designed to stop large-scale illegal entries from Russian territory

Terrain work began on Tuesday "with forest clearance and will proceed in such a way that road construction and fence installation can be started in March", the Finnish Border Guard said in a statement.

The 3-kilometre pilot project at the south-eastern border crossing in Imatra is expected to be completed by the end of June, it added.

Construction of a further 70 kilometres, mainly in south-eastern Finland, will take place between 2023 and 2025.

In total, Finland plans to fence 200 kilometres of its 1,300-kilometre border with Russia at a cost of about 380 million euros ($597 million).

The fence will be over 3 metres tall, with barbed wire at the top and particularly sensitive areas equipped with night-vision cameras, lights and loudspeakers.

Finland's fence on its Russian border will cost an estimated $597 million. ( Reuters: Janis Laizans )

At present, Finland's borders are secured primarily by light wooden fences, mainly designed to stop livestock from wandering to the wrong side.

Fearing that Moscow could use migrants to exert political pressure on Helsinki, Finland passed new amendments to its Border Guard Act in July to facilitate the erection of sturdier fences.

Although the Finland-Russia border has "worked well" in the past, Brigadier General Jari Tolppanen told AFP in November that the war in Ukraine had changed the security situation "fundamentally".

He said the border fence was "indispensable" to stop large-scale illegal entries from Russian territory.

Finland saw an influx of Russians in September after President Vladimir Putin ordered the mobilisation of reservists to fight in Ukraine.

Estonia, Latvia and Poland have also increased security on their borders with Russia or are planning to do so.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 16 minutes 6 seconds 16 m Why are countries building more border walls?

rimalp on February 28th, 2023 at 21:47 UTC »

Fence and barbed wire industry is making bank these days.

Irishinator on February 28th, 2023 at 21:42 UTC »

What a good time to be in the fence building business

ButtingSill on February 28th, 2023 at 20:49 UTC »

It is just to make border control easier near border crossing points and such where people might try to cross the border illegally.