Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia's border crossings near the border with Estonia were operating normally, TASS reported. Earlier, the Estonian side warned its citizens of possible difficulties at the border. He also appealed to Estonians who come to the territory of the Russian Federation to return to their homeland.
“Moscow has not closed the border with Estonia nor has Russian citizens holding EU passports been subject to tighter immigration controls,” Zakharov said in a statement on Tuesday. At the same time, he emphasized that the Estonian report was “false”.
According to a Kremlin Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Estonia “distributed completely fabricated information to its citizens planning to visit Russia.”
Border between Russia and Estonia. Zakharova: “The railroad crossing works properly”
Information about the difficulties was published in the media. Zakharova added: “The claims that Russian border guards are increasing surveillance of Russian citizens with EU passports are also untrue.”
A Russian diplomatic spokesperson claimed that the situation is worsening in the face of “policies promoted by European Union countries, including Finland's decision to close its borders with Russia.”
See also: Was the Magdeburg attack forgiven by a mistake? Media coverage of vulnerabilities
“This has led to people entering our country via Estonia,” she added. He assured that border crossings were functioning “as usual” and that “Russia is ready to receive as many guests as possible who wish to enter the country.”
The Kremlin's position was expected to be announced in response to inquiries from Russian media.
Estonia. Warning to citizens arriving in Russia
Five days earlier, the Baltic Times reported that the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had advised against traveling to Russia. Citizens were also asked to “reconsider the need for their stay” and return to Estonia immediately if possible.
“The Russian Federation officially recognizes Estonia as an unfriendly country, which could lead to a negative attitude of the Russian authorities towards the Estonian people,” we read.
There were also warnings of longer waiting times at border crossings, which may be related to the temporary closure of Russia's borders and restrictions on border crossings.
Your browser does not support video players… Read more
Want to get the latest news?
We are preparing an application for your phone. Please check it out!
