Security in Europe

Finland's border fence with Russia is complete

Finland has completed the construction of a 200-kilometer-long fence along the Russian border, reports Swedish Yle. On Monday, it was inaugurated by Interior Minister Mari Rantanen at the border station in Nuijamaa.

- This is not just a symbolic construction, it is a practical and necessary part of the Finnish border security system. It is also a concrete investment in the security of Finland and Europe, she says.

The fence covers around 15 percent of the 1,300-kilometer-long border with Russia. The largest part of it is in the southeast.

The rest of the border runs in wasteland where Finnish authorities consider it unlikely that large numbers of people would cross, for example during influence operations where Russia sends migrants to the border.

Russia closes German consulate in retaliation

The German consulate in St. Petersburg must close by September 18, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced, according to the AP. Russia has previously announced that German cultural centers in the country will close.

This is retaliation for Germany closing the Russian consulate in Bonn and the Russian cultural center in Berlin. This was done after the German government announced that the Russian state was behind the explosive drone found at Leipzig airport in August.