The Finnish Border Guard will gain new capabilities for monitoring movements near the border with Russia. This is made possible by the recent authorization of radio technical surveillance.
According to Yle, the need to strengthen border control arose due to provocations by Russia involving migrants from Arab and African countries, who in late 2023 and early 2024 effectively "stormed" Finnish checkpoints.
From now on, border guards will be able to track mobile phones and other devices transmitting radio signals on both the Finnish and Russian sides of the border.
Border Guard Commander Juho Vanhatalo noted that the new capabilities will significantly improve the service's ability to respond to potential threats such as smuggling or illegal border crossings. He explained that radio technical surveillance will not intercept the content of radio communications but will only determine the location of signal-transmitting devices.
Image: Laura Merikalla / Yle, Mapcreator, OpenStreetMap
The monitoring may also cover the Russian side of the border, allowing for timely detection of suspicious activity. This is particularly important given Russia's use of refugees to create crises at the Finnish border.
Timo Hietalahti, head of mobile networks at Telia Finland, added that mobile phone signals can be detected from a distance of up to 30-40 kilometers if there are no obstructions, greatly enhancing control capabilities.
