Finland completes 200-km fence along Russian border

HELSINKI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Finland on Monday marked the completion of a 200-km barrier fence along parts of its border with Russia, with Interior Minister Mari Rantanen saying further sections could be built in the future if needed.

The fence consists of dozens of separate sections along Finland's more than 1,300-km border with Russia, with most of the fencing concentrated in southeastern Finland and smaller sections farther north. The sections were built in areas where the operational need was assessed to be the greatest and construction was considered cost-efficient, according to the Finnish Border Guard.

The project includes a 4.5-meter-high fence, a technical surveillance system, a road network and a 25-meter-wide cleared area. Its estimated cost is 356 million euros (413 million U.S. dollars), the Border Guard said.

Finnish parliamentary groups agreed in October 2022 to support the construction of a barrier fence along parts of the eastern border. Pilot sections were built in 2023, while the main construction took place from 2024 to 2026. Enditem