MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2022) More than 5,000 people crossed the Russian-Finnish border on Friday on the day of its reopening after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, Kimmo Gromoff, the head of the Southeast Finland Border Guard District, said.
The border between Russia and Finland had been closed from late March 2020 until July 15, 2022.
"About 500 border crossings were recorded in Imatra, about 1,800 in Nuijamaa, and about 3,000 in Vaalimaa. This roughly corresponds to a normal day before the restrictions," Gromoff told Finnish national broadcaster Yle.
He added that some 60% of those crossing the border were heading from Russia to Finland.
Gromoff noted that Russians usually visit Finland for tourism, shopping, or to check on their real estate, while Finns come to Russia for cheap gasoline.
