Finland is reinforcing its border with Russia, citing heightened security concerns since joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) two years ago.
The 1,340-kilometer (833-mile) frontier— Europe’s longest shared border with Russia—is now at the center of rising tensions, as Finland expands its military readiness and hosts a new NATO command.
At a shooting range just 10 miles from the Russian border, Finnish army reservist Janne Latto unpacked a surveillance drone. He said the equipment is vital preparation for any future threat from the east.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland has joined NATO and adopted a harder stance on border security.
Latto, 47, who runs a small business making neon signs and billboards, said:
“What if they decide to come and change the border, just like they went to Ukraine?”
He recalled how Finland lost about 10% of its territory to the Soviet Union during World War Two, including Ayrapaa, where his grandfather died defending the area in 1944.
On parts of the border once open to trade and tourism, a new barbed-wire-topped fence now stands. Finland closed several crossings last year, accusing Russia of using migration as a weapon.
Russian tourists who once boosted the local economy have vanished, and businesses that served them are now struggling.
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Meanwhile, satellite images suggest Russia is reactivating Soviet-era bases. One such facility, the Olenya airfield near Finland, was targeted in a June 1 Ukrainian drone strike.
Increased Russian military activity has brought the Ukraine war closer to Finland’s doorstep.
A Finnish defense report published late last year warned of “a heightened risk of an armed conflict” and said Russia aimed to create a “buffer zone” stretching from the Arctic to southern Europe.
In response, Finland is boosting its defense posture—stockpiling landmines, banning Russians from buying property, and restricting drone use by dual nationals.
The government has also warned of mobile signal disruptions near the Russian border.
Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen wrote on X last Thursday: “Finland is responsible for over half of the entire land border between NATO countries and Russia,” adding that the country’s defense posture was to ensure the border “remains inviolable.”
Finland’s presidential office declined to comment. Russia’s foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters.
President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow had no plans to attack NATO and did not consider NATO’s military buildup a threat.
Still, after Finland joined the alliance, Russia announced plans to increase troop deployments in its western regions.
More than 50,000 Finns now take part in voluntary reservist clubs—a roughly 30% increase since before the Ukraine war.
Latto and his fellow volunteers in the Lauritsala Reservists are training with three drones, including the Parrot Anafi, which is used by NATO militaries. Ten more drones are on order through a grant from Finland’s reservist association.
“You don’t have to run with the infantry to be a part of the modern battlefield,” said Latto, who built his own drone goggles and is an avid hobbyist.
Finland is raising the reservist age limit to 65 and aims to grow its total reserve force to one million by 2031. That would mean nearly one in five Finns is trained for wartime duty.
While Finland insists its actions are defensive, the changes have created real economic and personal strain in border towns.
Cross-border trips—once totaling up to 13 million annually—have stopped. That’s cost the region an estimated €300 million each year out of a €5.5 billion local economy.
Unemployment in some towns has risen to nearly 15%, above the national average.
Antique shopkeeper Janne Tarvainen said the border closure cut off his main customer base.
“I saw it differently – money was coming into the town,” he said, recalling how locals used to complain about crowds from Russia.
Oksana Serebriakova, 50, moved to Lappeenranta from Moscow after the COVID-19 pandemic for better opportunities for her 17-year-old son. Her husband and older son remain in Russia.
“It’s a very sad situation,” she said. “The migration problem could have been solved with measures like strict checks at entry points—like airports.”
Finland has around 38,000 dual citizens. About 420,000 Finns relocated from land ceded to the Soviet Union after WWII.
Ivan Deviatkin, a local politician, lost access to his son in Finland and his elderly mother in Russia. He challenged the border closure in court, but his case failed.
Now, nine plaintiffs have taken the matter to the European Court of Human Rights, which has asked Finland to explain its actions.
For decades after WWII, Finland worked to open trade and travel with Russia. That has now been reversed.
Major roads like the E18 between Helsinki and St. Petersburg now end at barricades. Shopping centers are quiet. Border towns feel the effects.
“We’ve moved kind of from an era of de-bordering to one of re-bordering,” said Samuel Siljanen, Head of Operations for the Finnish Border Guard.
Finland closed its border in 2023, blaming Russia for encouraging undocumented migration. Moscow denied the allegation and said Finland had taken an anti-Russian stance.
The previously open border was marked only by poles or low fences. Now, Finland is building 200 kilometers (124 miles) of 4.5-meter-high fencing, with cameras, sensors, and new patrol roads.
NATO is also expanding its footprint. A new NATO command center is being set up in Mikkeli, two hours from the Russian border. It will host 50 officers from countries including the US and U.K., alongside the Finnish Army Command.
“In the event that we ever moved into a conflict, this headquarters would be working alongside NATO forces in a command and control role,” said Brigadier Chris Gent of NATO’s Allied Land Command.
Finland already has the largest artillery force in Western Europe and is modernizing its air force with 64 US-made F-35 fighter jets.
A senior Finnish official said Russia’s base activity so far appears limited. But concerns remain that Russia will reinforce the Leningrad region once the Ukraine war ends.
“It is important to signal credibly to Russia that it’s not worth it,” said Minna Alander, a Chatham House associate fellow.
“NATO will never attack Russia, and I believe they know this.”
(Reuters)
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