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kilometer fence along Russian border — Meduza
Meduza • • world
Key Points:
- Finland has completed a 200-kilometer barrier along its border with Russia, featuring a metal fence, surveillance equipment, and a cleared strip, at a cost of 356 million euros with annual maintenance of 1.5 million euros.
- The fence spans 17 municipalities and crosses land owned by about 1,000 people, with the state compensating landowners approximately 3 million euros; legal challenges to reroute the fence have been rejected.
- The barrier aims to prevent illegal border crossings and directed migration, a response initiated after a surge of nearly 17,000 Russians entered Finland following Putin's mobilization announcement in 2022.
- The Russian-Finnish border is approximately 1,300 kilometers long, and the fence covers selected sections; increased border closures occurred in late 2023 amid a rise in asylum seekers, mainly from Syria, Somalia, and Yemen.
- Finnish authorities accuse Moscow of orchestrating the migrant influx to destabilize the region, a claim denied by Russian officials.
