Norwegian reindeer in Russia have been unable to return home after becoming trapped on the wrong side of the fence separating the two countries. Up to 30 animals have remained in Russian territory for several months, while their owners can only follow their movements through GPS trackers.
The reindeer belong to grazing districts 5A and 5C in eastern Finnmark, close to Norway’s border with Russia. Their owners are not permitted to cross the international border to retrieve them and have contacted the Norwegian Border Commissariat (Grensekommissariatet) for assistance.
Norwegian reindeer trapped behind the Russian fence
Reindeer crossing into Russia is not unusual in the area. Parts of the barrier intended to keep the animals in Norway are incomplete, allowing some of them to wander across the border during their seasonal movements.
“It happens almost every winter. Since there are places where the fence is not complete, they cross into Russia. But they usually come back,” Egil Kalliainen, head of grazing districts 5A and 5C, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
This time, however, several animals have moved behind a fence on the Russian side of the border. The barrier is now preventing them from retracing their route towards Norway.
“But now we have some that have gone behind the fence on the Russian side, so they cannot come back,” Kalliainen said.
The herders can see the animals’ locations through GPS collars, but tracking them digitally does not provide a practical way to bring them home. Crossing the border outside the official checkpoint would constitute an illegal entry into Russia.
Authorities have not yet intervened
Norwegian authorities have not yet taken action to recover the animals. Kalliainen has contacted the Norwegian Border Commissariat, the public body responsible for implementing the bilateral agreement governing the Norwegian-Russian border.
Any solution is likely to require communication between Norwegian and Russian border authorities. Cooperation across the frontier has become more limited since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, creating additional difficulties for reindeer herders who previously handled practical cross-border problems through direct contacts.
The animals are semi-domesticated reindeer belonging to local herders. Reindeer husbandry is an important economic and cultural activity in northern Norway and is closely connected to Sámi communities, although not every owner in the border area is Sámi.
A recurring problem along the Arctic border
Norway and Russia share a land border of almost 200 kilometres, most of it in Sør-Varanger municipality. A separate reindeer fence extends along much of the frontier, but damaged or incomplete sections have repeatedly allowed animals to cross.
The issue has previously generated diplomatic and financial disputes. In 2023, 42 Norwegian reindeer entered Russia, prompting Russian authorities to seek compensation for grazing inside the Pasvik nature reserve. Norway subsequently repaired a seven-kilometre section of the ageing barrier.
Most of those animals eventually returned to Norway. The current group faces a different problem because the Russian fence is blocking the route back.
For the owners, the immediate priority remains finding a legal and safe way to return the reindeer. Until Norwegian and Russian authorities agree on a solution, the animals will remain visible on GPS maps but inaccessible on the other side of one of Europe’s most closely controlled borders.
