The decision to shut the borders at night was made earlier this month by the Estonian government due to a series of incidents in which Russian border guards had behaved irrationally.

According to the Police and Border Guard (PPA), closing the checkpoints at night will allow resources to be reallocated to the most vulnerable sections of Estonia's land and water border. However, the number of staff working at the checkpoints during the day will not be increased.

According to Veiko Kommusaar, head of border guard at the PPA, this means that crossing the border may take longer. Those wishing to do so are advised to plan their trips well in advance and not postpone crossing the border until the evening, as long lines may form at the checkpoints as the border closing time approaches.

Border crossings will be completely suspended at night, from 7 p.m., meaning those who reach the checkpoints after that time from the Estonian side will be unable to enter Russia until 7 a.m. the following morning.

Those wishing to cross back into Estonia from the other side will be subject to the same time restrictions.

The restrictions will initially be in place for a period of three months, after which any further decision on opening times will be made depending on the situation at the border.

At the same time, the operating times of the border crossing point in Narva will remain unchanged – it will still be possible to cross the border at Narva on foot between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

The Narva – Ivangorod border crossing has been closed to all vehicular traffic in both directions since February 1, 2024, due to construction work on the Russian side.

Kommusaar pointed out that the PPA has been advising people for a number of years to refrain from traveling to Russia, due to the unpredictable actions of the Russian border guards.

He also added that the Estonian authorities may be required to close the border crossings immediately at any point for security reasons, which would then make it impossible for people to return to Estonia via the usual route.

"People wishing to visit Russia should be prepared for the Russian side to take an unexpected interest in them, question them for information, or detain them for their own purposes. So, our recommendation remains unchanged: unless there is an unavoidable need to visit Russia, we do not recommend doing so," Kommusaar said.

---

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!