Eastern border | The Russian media reported about surveillance balls coming to the Karelia border, the Border Guard has no findings

Russian the state television channel Rossija 1 and the news media Vesti-Karelija operating in the Russian Karelia made news this week that unmanned surveillance balloons are going to be introduced on the Russian-Finnish border in Karelia. They are supposed to control the border.

The official newspaper of the Russian government has also reported on surveillance balls Rossiyskaya gazeta (RG). According to it, the balls are used to monitor certain parts of the border. The surveillance balloons convey information about possible illegal border crossings, and they can track the crossers.

According to RG, the purpose is to prevent “illegal entry” from Russia to Finland, as citizens of third countries often try to enter the country through Karelia.

“[Valvontapallo] can stay in the air non-stop for several days. The system enables radar and video surveillance,” the news video says Argumenty i Fakty – according to the news media.

Southeast Finland General Director of the Border Guard Kimmo Gromoff tells HS that the Border Guard has no other information or observations about surveillance balls besides media information.

According to Gromoff, Russia also has no reporting obligation to the Finnish authorities. The announcement would probably be made in a case where the border authorities’ operations could be jeopardized or there would be an accident.

“If [kyseessä oleva asia] is on their side of the border, they do what they want there,” says Gromoff.

The control balls have not been reported to the border authorities either.

Vesti-Karelian in the news video, only one control ball is visible in the picture at a time. Based on the video, it is also not clear where the ball was filmed.

In addition to surveillance balls, the video introduces other equipment used by the Russian border guards, such as airplanes and ATVs.

He was the first to tell about it in Finland Evening News.