Finland will slash the number of visas issued to Russians from September 1, the Finnish foreign ministry said in a statement, amid a rush of Russian tourists bound for Europe.
Finnish land border crossings have remained among the few entry points into Europe for Russians after a string of Western countries closed their airspace to Russian planes in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
The Finnish government agreed on Tuesday to curtail their numbers, after Russian tourists begun using Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa airport as a gateway to European holiday destinations following Russia’s lifting of pandemic-related border restrictions a month ago.