• Finland completes a 200-kilometre fence along its border with Russia after two years of construction, citing the need for an effective border security system.
• The barrier consists of a 4.5-metre high fence and a technical surveillance system, with construction beginning in August 2024 in areas where operational need was greatest and economically viable.
• Tensions along the Finnish-Russian border have escalated since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, leading Finland to close its land border crossings with Russia in December 2023 due to accusations of Moscow directing migrants towards the border to destabilize the country.

NATO member Finland has completed a 200-kilometre fence along its border with Russia after two years of construction, authorities said on Monday.

"The state's most important task is to ensure the safety of its citizens," Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said in a statement.

"In these unpredictable times, the border fence on the eastern border is an essential component of an effective border security system."

Construction began in August 2024 along sections of Finland's more than 1,300-kilometre border with Russia where the Finnish Border Guard said "the operational need was greatest and construction was most economically viable."

The barrier consists of a fence around 4.5 metres high and a technical surveillance system.

Tensions along the Finnish-Russian border have risen sharply since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Finland closed its land border crossings with Russia in December 2023 after accusing Moscow of deliberately directing migrants towards the border in an effort to destabilize the country. Russia has denied the allegations.

"Without a border fence, it is not possible to combat this exploitative migration effectively, credibly and safely," Markku Hassinen of the Finnish Border Guard said in the statement.