Latvia to close only ground checkpoint of Ukrainians to russia

The Latvian government will suspend the work of checkpoints Vientuli and Pededze on the border with the terrorist country russia from October 16. This was reported by the broadcaster LSM with reference to the order of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of the country.

The reason for this decision was the introduction of special rules of entry into russia for Ukrainian citizens arriving from third countries. In accordance with the decree of the russian government, Ukrainians arriving in russia from third countries will be able to enter only through the Ludonka checkpoint in the Pskov Region (in the Latvian interpretation - Vientuli checkpoint) and Sheremetyevo Airport.

The Latvian Ministry of Interior Affairs warned that restrictions imposed by the russian authorities could cause a situation in which citizens of Ukraine and other countries will be forced to go to Latvia and remain on its territory in anticipation of the possibility of crossing the russian border.

The agency believes that such circumstances can seriously affect public order and threaten national security. It is noted that the decision of the russian authorities is probably a response to the ban on the entry into the European Union of cars with russian number plates.

“The biggest risks we see are the mass riots that can happen. Now, to cross the Latvian-russian border, you need to count on a day and a half. If the situation worsens, even two or three days. We can only imagine the emotional state of these people. People may become more nervous and conflict situations may be created," said Latvian Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis.

In 2023, Ukrainian citizens entered the russian federation through land border crossings on average about 6,000 times a month. Vientuli has accounted for approximately 40% of this flow since the middle of the year. The Estonian Police and Border Guard Department reported that an average of 127 Ukrainian citizens, including eight minors, travel to russia through Estonia every day.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the government of the terrorist country of the russian federation banned Ukrainian citizens from entering russia from third countries through all but two checkpoints. From midnight on October 16, only the moscow Sheremetyevo Airport and the Ludonka checkpoint in the Pskov Region on the border with Latvia will remain open for them, the russian government said.