Finland has begun building a 200-kilometer (124-mile) fence along its border with Russia to boost security.
The border guard said it would be 3 meters (10 feet) long and topped with barbed wire.
Finland has the EU’s longest border with Russia, at 1,340 km (832 mi). Finland’s borders are currently protected mainly by light wooden fences.
Finland decided to build a fence due to the increasing number of Russians to avoid being recruited to fight in Ukraine.
The Nordic country also moved closer to joining the NATO alliance on Tuesday. Its parliament began debating a bill to speed up the country’s bid, which is expected to be voted on Wednesday.
Work on fencing at the Amatra border crossing began on Tuesday with forest clearance, while road construction and fencing are planned to begin in March.
Night vision cameras, lights and loudspeakers will be installed in some parts of the fence.
The border guard said the 3-km pilot project in Amatra is expected to be completed by the end of June.
Finland passed new amendments to its Border Guard Act in July to allow for stronger fences. The existing wooden fence is mainly to prevent cattle from crossing the border.
Since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, Finland has sought to fortify its eastern border. In September, large numbers of Russians began fleeing to Finland after President Vladimir Putin ordered the mobilization of reservists to fight in Ukraine.
Following Russia’s invasion on February 24 last year, both Finland and Sweden decided they wanted to join NATO as soon as possible, after years of neutrality.
But Helsinki faces fewer diplomatic hurdles than Stockholm and the Finnish government wants to move ahead before Finland’s general election in April.
Only Turkey and Hungary have yet to approve bids by Finland and Sweden to join the defense bloc.
