Finland plans to prohibit Russians from purchasing real estate in the country.

The Finnish government submitted a bill to parliament on Thursday that restricts property purchases by Russians.

According to a statement on the website of the Finnish Ministry of Defence, a permit for purchasing property in the country "will not be issued to individuals whose country of citizenship is waging an aggressive war and may pose a threat to national security," reports Bloomberg.

"This bill limits real estate transactions involving Russians. Russia poses a long-term threat to the security of Europe, and real estate is one of the means of exerting hostile influence. Threats may be directed at the economy, infrastructure, business opportunities, supply security, or the state's ability to ensure the safety of its population. We developed this bill because we want to reduce all possible security risks," stated Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen.

As reported by Yle, real estate transactions involving Russian citizens have long been a subject of controversy. In 2024, the Finnish Ministry of Defence blocked several such transactions, citing the buyers' connections to Russia.

Currently, the possibility of confiscating previously sold properties for national security reasons is also under consideration.

The preparation of the bill became known in September 2024. The document includes exceptions for individuals with dual Russian-Finnish citizenship, as well as for Russians who permanently reside in Finland or other EU countries.

According to Häkkänen, as of autumn 2024, Russians owned approximately 3,500 properties in Finland.

The minister emphasized that Russia has intensified the use of various hybrid action tools, including sabotage, influence on critical infrastructure, corporate ownership, and real estate.

"Real estate is part of this game," he noted.

According to a report by the American delegation to the OSCE, since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has carried out about 150 attacks on the infrastructure of NATO countries. These include cyberattacks on railways, hospitals, aviation GPS systems, water supply, and acts of sabotage, including damage to underwater infrastructure.