More than 6,000 Russians entered the country on the 22nd alone … “Double the level of last week”
After Russia issued a partial military mobilization order, there was a continuous flow of vehicles trying to enter Finland, which is adjacent to Russia.
AFP and Reuters reported on the 23rd (local time) that cars were tailing in front of the checkpoint in Valima, southern Finland, which leads overland from Russia to overland.
An officer told the border checkpoint that the line of vehicles in front of the checkpoint on that day was more than 400m, making it longer than the previous day.
The official added that more than 6,000 Russians had entered the country the day before, double the level of last week.
Max (21), who said he was a Russian student, explained that he was not subject to conscription in principle, but he crossed the border without knowing how the situation could change.
“I want safety,” he told Reuters after arriving in Balima, who declined to give his last name.
Slava, 29, and Evgeny, 35, said they fled Russia because they were likely to be drafted at some point.
Leaving their homeland was clearly a difficult decision for the couple, who are in a romantic relationship, but he emphasized that “preserving lives is more important.”
After a procession of vehicles from Russia to Finland continued, the Finnish government announced that it would “severely restrict the entry of Russians”.
Finland, which shares a 1,300km border with Russia, has been seen as a gateway for Russians to enter Europe after the Ukraine War.
In August, Finland decided to reduce tourist visas issued to Russians to less than one-tenth of the current level.
On the 21st, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the mobilization of around 300,000 reserve forces in part to protect Russia’s sovereignty and territory.
The mobilization order, issued for the first time since the Second World War, came at a time when it was known that the Ukrainian war had suffered serious losses.
Not only Finland, but also Georgia and Kazakhstan, which border Russia, are congested with vehicles coming in from Russia.
Flights to countries where Russians can enter and leave without a visa, such as Turkiye, Armenia, and Uzbekistan, are sold out one after another.
/happy news
