Helsinki – Finland today began construction of a wall on the border with Russia at the Imatra crossing in the southeast of the country. The barrier, which should be completed by the end of June, will be about three kilometers long. This is a first ‘test construction’ in view of an extension of the route, along which motion sensors will be installed.
Finland and Russia share a border of around 1,340 kilometres, the longest of any EU country. The construction of the wall was approved by the Finnish Parliament in October last year, after the social democratic government of Sanna Marin justified it to control a possible increase in illegal crossings.
In September, Finland approved the closure of the borders to Russian tourists, in the midst of the migration escalation resulting from the partial mobilization announced the same month by President Vladimir Putin, thus joining the restrictions in this sense already adopted previously by the Baltic countries and from Poland. (source Adnkronos)