Russia to Temporarily Close Ivangorod Border Crossing to Estonia in February 2024
In February next year, the Ivangorod border crossing that connects Russia and Estonia will no longer allow cars to pass.
Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin has ordered the closure of the Ivangorod border crossing for vehicles and passengers during its reconstruction. Fortunately, pedestrians will not be affected by this closure.
According to ERR News, the redevelopment of the Ivangorod border crossing was slated for late spring or early summer 2023.
This closure will have implications for transportation between Tallinn and St. Petersburg. The company still determines the possibility of travelling from Tallinn to St. Petersburg by bus, potentially crossing the border on foot in Narva.
As of September 13, 2023, Estonia has also announced a new policy that bars vehicles with Russian license plates from entering the country.
In this regard, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Margus Tsahkna, pointed out that Russians are not welcome in Estonia and emphasised the correctness of this decision.
As he explains, this ban extends beyond private vehicles and also encompasses company transportation operations.
Estonia’s strict visa regulations for Russian tourists within the Schengen Area continue to impact the tourism industry. Thus, During the summer months of 2023 (June, July, and August), Estonia welcomed over 1.25 million tourists to its accommodation establishments. This figure represents a marginal increase of one per cent compared to the previous year. However, it is down by 12 per cent from the summer of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September of this year, Finland decided to allow no longer cars with Russian license plates to enter its territory.
As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland stated that this decision aligns with the Commission’s interpretation instruction, and the ban officially took effect on September 16.
In addition, Norway has also banned the entry of Russian-registered vehicles. The move has been criticised by Russian authorities which have threatened that the actions of the EU and its member states will not remain without a proper reaction.
Similarly, Bulgaria has joined the ranks of EU countries that have banned the entry of cars with Russian license plates into their territory. The head of Bulgaria’s border police, Anton Zlatanov, announced the ban, which took effect on October 2. Such a measure applies not only to personal cars but also to vehicles transporting goods.