Unexploded artillery shell found during border fence construction in Salla

A construction crew building a barrier along Finland’s eastern border discovered an unexploded artillery shell near the Salla border crossing on Thursday evening, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

The ordnance, believed to date from wartime, was found roughly 250 metres from the national border. Authorities immediately cordoned off the area, and the Finnish Defence Forces are conducting controlled disposal operations until Friday evening.

While the disposal poses no direct risk to the public, movement in the vicinity is restricted for the duration of the operation. The Finnish Border Guard has notified Russia’s Alakurtti border station of the incident.