Finland reopens two checkpoints on the border with Russia
Kyiv • UNN
Finland reopened two border crossing points with Russia, with lines of more than 50 cars at Niirala and calm traffic at Vaalimaa. There were no reports of asylum seekers, as most of the people crossing the border were dual nationals or locals.
Finland opened two checkpoints on the border with Russia on December 14, the country's border guard service reported, UNN reports.
Details
"The Vaalimaa border crossing point is open, the situation is calm. There is cross-border traffic in both directions," Finnish border guards reported at night in X.
"Niirala border crossing point is open for traffic. There are currently more than 50 vehicles in line to leave the country," the country's border guard service reported in the morning .
According to Yle, the busiest border crossing on the eastern border, Vaalimaa, opened at midnight.
About fifty cars reportedly gathered there before the opening. According to Yle, there was no sign of people on bicycles or possible asylum seekers at the site.
The head of the Vaalimaa border control point, Jussi Pekkala, later stated that the traffic had started as expected.
By 8 a.m., 324 people had reportedly crossed the border into Russia. In Finland, 124 people arrived. Most of those crossing the border had dual citizenship or residence permits. No asylum seekers have arrived in Finland so far.
According to Pekkala, the border guards are prepared for various scenarios, including the arrival of asylum seekers.
The Niirala border crossing reopened to traffic at 8 a.m. after a nearly four-week hiatus.
Even before the start of work, a line of 15 cars had already gathered at the border. A Yle correspondent reported that all of them had Finnish license plates.
