Finland has banned Russians from entering the country on bicycles

Finnish border guards have stopped allowing Russians on bicycles through. New rules apply at the Imatra, Nujamaa and Vaalimaa checkpoints, Fontanka reports , citing eyewitnesses.

“It’s impossible to get written confirmation anywhere, but cyclists are being turned away. We called the Finnish border guards and they confirmed it. I personally was turned away today,” one reader told the publication.

RIA Novosti, citing a border guard officer at the Vaalimaa checkpoint, writes that the ban was introduced on November 9. According to him, it operates throughout the entire region of south-eastern Finland. However, he did not specify on the basis of which such a measure was introduced, or whether this decision applies to other checkpoints. In total, there are nine checkpoints on the border between Russia and Finland.

The border detachment of south-eastern Finland serves the largest checkpoints in terms of passenger traffic, Nuijamaa and Imatra, and the closest to St. Petersburg, Vaalimaa. Over the nine months of this year, the border was crossed there 1,166,000 times. According to Finnish border guards, this is 12.8% less than in the same period in 2022.

To receive the main news faster, subscribe to our telegram and Twitter .