“The numbers have clearly increased” and “there is definitely more traffic,” said Matti Petcanetti, the officer in charge of international affairs at the border guards. he don: 4,824 Russian citizens arrived in Finland on the eastern border on Wednesday, compared to 3,133 on the same day a week earlier. Meanwhile, he added, fewer people crossed the border on Wednesday than on the weekend. Petcaniti said the border guards are doing their duty at nine checkpoints.
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kakkonen said on Wednesday that Finland is closely monitoring the situation in its neighborhood after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced, Thursday, that the government has assessed the risks posed by Russian citizens traveling through and entering Finland, It is strongly considering a significant reduction in the number of people coming from Russia.
Referring to Putin’s announcement on Wednesday, the prime minister said he believed that “after hearing yesterday’s news, the situation requires review”. “The government’s intentions are very clear: tourism to and from Russia (Finland) must be stopped,” he stated. After Putin’s announcement, one-way flights were quickly cut off in Russia, with many fearing that men of military age would not be allowed to leave the country.
Meanwhile, according to police sources, the number of Russian citizens crossing the border into Norway has not changed. Finland is one of the last European countries through which Russian citizens still have a way to leave their country: Poland, along with the three Baltic states, on Monday put entry restrictions on Russian citizens into effect.
Cover image source: Getty Images
