Finland starts construction of fence along Russian border

ATHENS

Finland started construction on a fence along its border with Russia, media reports said Tuesday.

Construction started with the removal of trees on both sides of the Imatra border crossing, said public broadcaster, YLE. The initial test fence would be 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long and will be completed by late June.

The Finnish Border Guard announced that the changing security environment because of the war in Ukraine made construction necessary.

“According to our plan, a barrier fence should be built for a distance of about 200 kilometers along our 1,300-kilometer-long eastern border. The main part of the barrier would be located on the southeastern border, which is the focus area of ​​border control,” it said.

Construction is expected to last three to four years, depending on the state of finances.