Elvera employees refuse to work in rental area of Saimaa Canal due to security concerns in Russia

Employees from Elvera, the company responsible for the maintenance of the Saimaa Canal, have refused to work in the rent area on the Russian side of the canal due to concerns about deteriorating security conditions in Russia. According to Elvera’s CEO Ilari Jaakkola, two employees reported their refusal about a month ago.

Until now, work in the area had proceeded without issues, and no threats have been reported. Concerns were raised after a far-right group, Rusich, claimed via Telegram that they had an agreement with the Russian border guard for reconnaissance and surveillance tasks near the Finnish border. The group also recently posted a photo showing its members at the Saimaa Canal.

Elvera employees typically enter the rental area about once a month; this year, they’ve worked there four times already. Workers travel in pairs and follow strict guidelines for safety. Jaakkola stated, “We certainly do not force anyone to go there.”

The rental area is jointly maintained by several Finnish companies, including NRC Finland and Alltime, in addition to Elvera. The South Karelia Centre for Economic Development has a contract with YIT for maintenance of the road alongside the canal. Attempts to obtain comments from NRC Finland and YIT on the situation were unsuccessful.

The Saimaa Canal is a unique waterway spanning over 40 kilometers, split between Finland and Russia. Established through a rental agreement between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1962, Finland currently pays an annual rent of €1.22 million to Russia for the canal area, which is governed by Russian law while Finnish navigation laws apply within the canal itself.