Finnish man crosses Russia border without permission and ends up in custody. The Southeast Finland Border Guard reported the incident on Friday, confirming the man entered Russia on foot and returned without authorisation.
The arrest took place in Pitkäpohja, a remote forest area near Parikkala. Officials say a technical surveillance system first picked up suspicious activity. Patrol units responded quickly and detained the suspect not far from the crossing point.
Authorities released a short statement saying,
“The man is suspected of illegally crossing the state border in terrain from Finland to Russia and back to Finland.”
The case has already triggered communication between Finnish officials in Southeast Finland and Russian border authorities based in the Vyborg region. Investigators are still looking into the full circumstances, and no additional details have been released to the public.
This incident is part of a growing pattern of border tensions along Finland’s eastern side. Just days earlier, on June 17, a foreign national was stopped by Eastern Finland border patrols in North Karelia after allegedly entering from Russia without going through legal channels.
Since late 2023, Finland has shut down all official border crossings with Russia due to rising fears of organised migration flows. The government activated emergency powers, giving border guards the authority to deny asylum claims from people arriving through Russia.
Back in January, another illegal border event was recorded. A minor was caught trying to cross in the Karhusuo area of Imatra. That individual was never found on Finnish soil and was last known to be on the Russian side in early February.
Finnish authorities continue to tighten control along the 1,300-kilometer frontier. Unauthorised entries have become a serious national security concern. With cross-border incidents increasing, the government is under pressure to strengthen monitoring and enforcement near all high-risk locations.
