Russia Suspends Rail Traffic at Borders with the EU

Russia closed traffic through some of its last remaining railway border crossings with the European Union on Wednesday. The measure, announced in a government decree, suspends all rail transport of passengers, vehicles and goods with Finland, Estonia and Latvia effective 1 July.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally notified the Baltic countries but did not provide an explanation for the "temporary" closures or a date for their possible lifting, according to Politico.

Many Finnish border crossings have seen almost no passenger traffic since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Finland completely closed its eastern border to migration in December 2023.

Direct flights between Russia and the EU remain suspended, and land border crossings are restricted. The announcement comes as Russia builds military infrastructure along its borders with NATO. An investigation by the Scandinavian media outlets SVT and NRK found that Moscow is building new barracks and ammunition depots near its borders with Finland, Norway and the Baltic states, where it reportedly plans to deploy up to 115,000 troops once the war in Ukraine subsides.

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