Monitoring of Saimaa Canal shows no unusual activities related to Rusitš, says Kykkänen

Monitoring of the Saimaa Canal has not revealed any unusual activities, and there have been no sightings of the Russian extremist group Rusitš, according to Seppo Kykkänen, head of the Saimaa Canal Authority. “The area around the Saimaa Canal is safe. We have not observed the group that has been mentioned,” Kykkänen stated.

Kykkänen regularly inspects the canal area, accompanied by a traffic inspector, covering the route approximately once a week to ensure proper activities in the region. Last week, he was unable to visit due to a surge in responsibilities stemming from increased media attention. “We didn’t manage to assess the situation last week, but we did check it the week before. We plan to inspect it again this Wednesday,” he added.

Additional surveillance is conducted through cameras, but according to Kykkänen, there have been no notable abnormalities detected in the video monitoring as well.

The office is closely following recent reports suggesting that a far-right group is conducting surveillance on the Russian side of the canal. Kykkänen remarked that such reporting plays into Russia’s hands, urging against provocation on both sides.

Jukka Lassila, a senior researcher from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs who specializes in Russia, noted last week that Rusitš could be leveraged for a performative display. “The goal might be to provoke anxiety in Finland, but we should not succumb to that anxiety,” Lassila advised.

Moreover, it was reported that some workers maintaining the Saimaa Canal refused to work on the rented Russian side due to safety concerns. Kykkänen indicated that this situation stems more from feelings than actual conditions at the border, and he refrained from further comments.

The Saimaa Canal, extending 43 kilometers from Saimaa through Lappeenranta and Viipuri to the Gulf of Finland, has nearly half of its area located in Russia, which Finland rents.