Hundreds of Russians pack trains to Helsinki as steps to EU are reduced

Hundreds of Russian passengers have filled trains to Finland’s capital Helsinki from St Petersburg every day since the war in Ukraine began, as mutual airspace closures cut off air connections between Russia and the European Union (EU). ).

The two trains that cover that route were almost empty before the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, but are now full, with 700 people arriving from Russia daily, Finnish public rail operator VR said.

Hundreds more people travel by car to join the long lines at border crossings in Finland, Estonia or Latvia, as many Russians, who fear a wider conflict between Russia and the West over Ukraine, look for ways to leave the country.

More than two million Ukrainians have so far fled the fighting in their country, most to neighboring countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

The EU has agreed to grant temporary residency to Ukrainian refugees, but the status of Russians who wish to extend their stay in the bloc is unclear.

For 40-year-old Philip, his wife and their young daughter, the trip to Helsinki was going to be a long-awaited four-day vacation for this Russian family, but now they are not sure they will be able to return home.

“We only came here because it seemed to be the only quick way out of St Petersburg”, he said after getting off the train. “People who understand what is going on are really upset and I have already heard of several friends and colleagues who have already left or are desperately trying to leave.”, he added, asking Reuters to leave out his last name.

Prior to the trip, he and his wife spent several days trying to withdraw as much money as they could from their savings accounts, as financial uncertainty caused by Western sanctions forces Russians to scramble for cash and a possible exit from the crisis.