Russia has officially notified Finland of the temporary suspension of traffic through a number of railway border crossing points. The restrictions do not apply to the Vainikkala station, through which freight transportation between the countries continues. This is reported by UNN with reference to Yle.
Details
According to the Finnish broadcaster, the official notification from the Russian side arrived on July 9. It stated the suspension of traffic through the border crossing points Vartius - Lyttä, Niirala - Värtsilä, and Imatra - Svetogorsk, as well as through railway stations in Vyborg and St. Petersburg.
The Finnish authorities learned about the decision of the Russian Federation from the media at the end of June, but received the official document only now.
The Russian government decided to temporarily suspend the movement of people, vehicles, goods, and cargo through seven railway border crossing points on the borders with Finland, Estonia, and Latvia from July 1. Moscow has not publicly explained the reasons for imposing the restrictions.
The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that Russia's decision will not have a significant impact on the country. The main freight railway transportation is carried out through the border station Vainikkala, which is not affected by the Russian restrictions.
Context
Passenger traffic between the countries has actually been suspended for several years. Currently, Vainikkala remains the only point on the Finnish-Russian border where freight railway transportation is permitted.
All land border crossing points on Finland's eastern border have been closed since December 15, 2023. Helsinki took this step after groups of migrants without the necessary documents began arriving at the border. The Finnish authorities believe that Russia directed these people to the border, using migration as a tool of political pressure.
On June 4, 2026, the Finnish government again extended the closure of border crossing points on the eastern border indefinitely. Applications for international protection can be submitted at other points on the country's external borders, including airports and seaports.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing threat from Russia, the Finnish Ministry of the Interior also proposed extending the validity of the law on border security, known as the law on countering instrumentalized migration, until December 31, 2028.
The document allows, by a separate decision, to temporarily limit the acceptance of applications for international protection in a specific section of the border. The law is planned to be applied only in exceptional cases when migration is used to create a threat to national security.
Currently, the law is in effect until the end of 2026. No changes to the content of the document are proposed, and the government bill is planned to be submitted to parliament in September. According to Finnish security forces, the threat of instrumentalized migration on the border with Russia will remain high for a long time.
Recall
In June, the Finnish parliament allowed the import and possession of nuclear weapons for defense. The country is strengthening deterrence due to threats and integration into NATO.