By the end of last year, 110 kilometers of the control line had been completed with the construction work expected to end in 2027.

"A large part of those kilometers is already covered with new, modern surveillance systems. The installation of surveillance solutions on the remaining infrastructure will continue in the coming years," said Veiko Kommusaar, head of border guard at the PPA.

In the south, at Saatse, work is continuing in several phases. The roads through Russian territory have been permanently closed and rebuilt around the areas following a sighting of armed personnel last October.

A new crossing bridge is being constructed over the Piusa River, and a completely new road is being developed across the Krabilova bog, which will connect the Saatse border guard station with the Saatse border crossing point.

Patrol roads are also being built to make sure the border is fully passable and quickly accessible.

"For example, from the bridge that goes over the Piusa River, it was not previously possible to drive directly along the border for surveillance purposes. We had to take a detour. Once it is completed, we will be able to move smoothly along the border from here," said Renet Merdikes, head of the PPA's Saatse station.

The border is also being built in places that were initially planned to be exchanged with Russia after the ratification of the two countries' border treaty.

Following the incident at the Saatse Boot last October, delay fences have now been placed on the roads running through Russian territory.

"In parallel, we have updated our radar positions and are building additional ones along the entire length of our Narva River border, which will result in better surveillance capabilities and allow us to respond to threats more effectively and appropriately," Kommusaar said.

The final phase of the land border lies mostly in marshy areas, and is awaiting a funding decision.

The total cost of building the entire border is €185.1 million, and it is hoped to be completed by the end of next year.

However, the development of the border will not end there. This year, the PPA will start testing the installation of border infrastructure along the water border.

"This does not mean that we need to cover the slightly more than 200 kilometers of water border with infrastructure, but in some more critical areas, where distances are very short in terms of response time, we'll begin conducting these tests," Kommusaar said.

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