Finland has announced the closure of the eastern border

The Council of State has decided to close the Raja-Josepi border crossing, as reported by the Finnish Ministry of the Interior.

As a result of this decision, all land border checkpoints between Finland and Russia will be closed until December 13, as stated in the Intermin.fi report.

According to Interior Minister Mari Rantanen, if necessary, the closure can be either canceled or extended for an additional two weeks.

"Russia is currently allowing individuals to use tools and transport them to the Finnish border under harsh winter conditions. Finland is taking decisive action to curb this phenomenon," said Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

Finnish Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen emphasized that, in this situation, it is necessary to close the entire eastern border. This decision will help protect Finland's national security from Russia's hybrid operations.

Additionally, starting from November 30, 2023, it will no longer be possible to apply for international protection at land border crossings between Finland and Russia. International protection can only be sought at open and water border crossings on Finland's external borders.

Finnish citizens are also required to use open and water border crossings.

The government and authorities are closely monitoring the situation on the eastern border. Finland is committed to ensuring the security of its border, maintaining public order, and safeguarding national security.