Finland has completed construction of a fence about 200 kilometers long along strategic parts of its border with Russia, in a measure taken to strengthen security and prevent illegal crossings.

The fence, built in various sections along the 1,340-kilometer-long border with Russia and equipped with cameras, sensors and barbed wire, is considered part of the Finnish border surveillance and control system.

Finland closed its land border with Russia in December 2023 after over 1,300 migrants arrived at border crossings without visas or the necessary documentation. Although the situation has calmed down considerably and only isolated cases of illegal crossings have been recorded, authorities in Helsinki remain on alert.

"Today, the situation is calm but tense and we don't really know what tomorrow holds," Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told AFP, speaking near the Nuijamaa border crossing in the southeast of the country, which has been closed for nearly three years.

"Things can change very quickly, so we need to be fully prepared," the minister added.

The fence, which reaches a height of about 4.5 meters in some of its sections, is mainly placed in areas considered most exposed. In addition to physical barriers, the system also includes technological means for border monitoring.

In 2023, Finnish authorities accused Moscow of using migration as part of a “hybrid war,” facilitating the arrival of third-country nationals to the Finnish border. The Kremlin has denied these accusations.

The construction of the fence comes at a time when Finland has significantly strengthened its security orientation. After decades of military neutrality, the country became a member of NATO in April 2023, against the backdrop of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Minister Rantanen described the barrier as an important element of border security.

"This is part of our border security system and helps us with surveillance, but also allows us, if necessary, to prevent people from entering Finnish territory," she said.

Finland is not the only country in the region to have taken such measures. Similar fences and barriers have also been built by Latvia, Lithuania and Poland along their borders with Belarus, while Estonia has strengthened barriers on its border with Russia.