Finland began erecting the first section of iron fencing on its 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, less than two weeks after it joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Project manager Ismo Kurki said on Friday the fence which is made of stainless steel mesh will have surveillance equipment, and scheduled to cover some 200 kilometers by the end of 2026.

The new fence will be 3 meters high, topped with razor-wire and tracked by a road, and cost an estimated 380 million Euros (USD 417 million).

Last year, Finland detected only 30 illegal crossings there, while Russian border guards stopped some 800 attempts to enter Finland, the Finnish Border Guard said.

Poland and the Baltic States have already began erecting fences on their borders with Russia and Belarus following the Feb. 2022 the start of the Russian military operation in the Ukrainian territory. (QNA)

Source: Qatar News Agency