Many Russians have concerns about the Ukraine war. That’s why they use an express train to get to Finland.
Helsinki – Not only people from Ukraine* are fleeing their country. Because of the Ukraine conflict*, Russians are also leaving their homeland. A popular destination is the Finnish capital. The Allegro express train travels the almost 450 kilometers between St. Petersburg and Helsinki twice a day. According to the news magazine Spiegel, this train has been fully booked for days. In contrast to the way back – here the train is almost completely empty.
The situation is also coming to a head in Russia*. Independent news channels like Doschd were banned. Facebook and Twitter have been blocked. Likewise, Russian citizens can no longer access the websites of international media. Groups of people are arrested. With censorship, bans and arrests, Russia tries to suppress the resistance*.
Ukraine war: people in Russia are also afraid
Various videos online show demonstrators being dragged away by the police. They wear heavy equipment and protective clothing, as reported by the time. That seems to be a reason for many Russians to leave their country. Also, many have concerns that the Ukraine war* will result in Russia being placed under martial law. Then the limits would be, as the star writes. There are also sanctions that are changing everyday life in Russia. They were issued in response to the invasion of Ukraine against Russia. But not all Russians have the opportunity to leave their country.
According to Spiegel, all Russians need a valid Schengen visa to enter Finland. Part of the population works or studies abroad, which is why they have it. But not others. And vaccination with a corona vaccine* approved in the EU is also necessary, as Stern reports. The Russian corona vaccine * Sputnik does not count.
Escape from Russia: The destination of many is Finland
The demand for the trains to Helsinki suddenly increased just two days after the invasion of Ukraine. Since then they have continued to rise. Another reason for this is that connections by plane no longer exist. Some travelers also take buses to Finland. Victoria Hurri, Managing Director of “Karelin Trains” tells the mirror: “We are negotiating the establishment of a third train, which will operate daily from St. Petersburg to Helsinki from about next week.”
Not all Russians want to stay in Finland. Sometimes it is just a stopover on the journey to another EU country. The editorial network Germany reports that buses to Riga and Tallinn are also filled. Turkey, Georgia and the United Arab Emirates are also popular travel destinations for Russians at the moment. There are still flight connections here. (fh) *fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
