Finland has closed the last crossing on its long Russian border, prompting the Kremlin to condemn an “absolutely redundant measure”.

The northern crossing at Raja-Jooseppi closed for two weeks at 14:00 (12:00 GMT) on Wednesday, after Helsinki accused Russia of channelling asylum seekers towards Finland.

Finland says it has become the target of a Russian “hybrid operation”.

Some 900 asylum seekers have crossed the border this month.

The influx is dramatically higher than the previous number of barely one a day and Finland’s border guard says before August 2023 Russian authorities barred foreign citizens from travelling to the area without the necessary visas.

  • ThrowawayPermanente@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    7 months ago

    I largely agree, but we would be betting a lot of lives on the assumption that our opponents will remain rational when the walls start closing in on them.