Russia Closes Railway Border Crossings With Finland and Baltic Neighbors

July 1, 2026 Jack No1 (CC BY-SA 3.0) Russia has closed seven railway border checkpoints with Finland, Estonia and Latvia, according to a government decree published Tuesday. The suspension, which takes effect July 1, halts the movement of individuals, vehicles and cargo through the designated rail crossings. Five of the shuttered checkpoints are located on the Finnish border, while Estonia and Latvia each have one crossing affected. Officials have not disclosed the reasons for the closures or when the checkpoints might reopen. In Estonia, the Ivangorod freight and passenger crossing will remain open, and in Latvia, the Sebezh crossing will also stay open. However, the closures leave Finland with no open railway crossings with Russia, which normally exports fertilizer to Finland by rail. Finland shut its eastern vehicle and pedestrian border crossings with Russia indefinitely in December 2023 following an influx of asylum seekers. Helsinki claimed the influx was a so-called “hybrid attack” by the Kremlin in retribution for Finland joining NATO in April 2023. Read more about: Finland , Estonia , Latvia Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Finland Dismisses Case Over Baltic Cable Cuts Many experts and political leaders had viewed the suspected sabotage as part of a "hybrid war" carried out by Russia against Western countries. 3 Min read Moscow Sends $17M in Back Payments for Russian Pensioners in Latvia and Estonia Russia signed bilateral pension agreements with Estonia and Latvia in 2011 that have remained in place despite the war in Ukraine. 1 Min read Russia Bans Entry to 347 Citizens of Baltic States The Foreign Ministry said the entry bans were a response to what it called the “hostile policy” of the three Baltic states toward Russia. 1 Min read Poland, Baltics Enact EU Visa Ban for Russians Holders of residence permits, family members, humanitarian cases and dissidents are unaffected.