On Thursday, Latvia announced the completion of a nearly 130-kilometer fence along its border with Russia, covering 46 percent of the total border length.
According to Latvian news outlet Delfi, construction is actively progressing at six different sites. The goal is to finish fortifying key priority sections of the border by the end of 2024.
Olena Gavrylova, a board member of Valsts nekustamie īpašumi (VNĪ), stated that construction pace is being maximized to ensure swift progress. On average, a six-kilometer section of the fence is completed each week.
"Building the missing fence on the Latvian-Russian border is one of VNĪ's highest priorities. We are working as quickly as possible, simultaneously on several sections," Gavrylova stated.
She also mentioned that work on particularly challenging sections, totaling about 28 kilometers, and related infrastructure will continue until the end of 2025.
The total length of the Latvian-Russian border is 283.6 kilometers.
In early May, the Latvian army began digging anti-tank ditches along the border with Russia.
The project to build a fence along the Latvian-Russian border started in 2015 but faced a halt in 2019 due to a criminal case involving fraud charges against the company Igate, which was initially responsible for the construction.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs visited the border in August last year, addressing the importance of completing the project. Almost five years later, the military has resumed and continued the construction efforts.
