Finnish border guards on the border with Russia used gas against a group of Russian citizens who tried, on foot and on bicycles, to force their way into Finland through the Niirala border checkpoint.
How reports Yle, the incident occurred on Friday evening, November 17th. A group of thirty people arrived at the border crossing on foot and on bicycles. They did not obey the orders of the border guards and tried to cross the border by force; one man even slipped past the border guard. Samuli Murtonen, Deputy Head of the North Karelia Border Guard in Finland, says:
“To bring the situation under control, we had to use the mildest possible means, which was gas spraying.”
Samuli Murtonen noted that the victim was examined by doctors and provided first aid. Murtonen could not specify what kind of gas was used in this situation, but, according to him, it is the gas that border guards usually use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V23wouoz45Q
Previously Air Force reportedthat Finland is closing four checkpoints on its border with Russia in response to a growing number of asylum seekers. The country is considering the possibility of completely closing the border with the Russian Federation.
Finland will close four border checkpoints on the border with Russia on the night of November 18, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Thursday. On Saturday night, the border crossing points of Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala will cease to operate. They will be closed at least until February 18, 2024, said Finnish Interior Minister Marie Rantanen.
The remaining checkpoints on the Finnish-Russian border will continue to operate as usual for now. There are a total of nine checkpoints on the land border between Finland and Russia.
Finland also introduced a ban on crossing the border from Russia on bicycles from November 15 for an indefinite period. Deputy Commander of the Border Guard of South-East Finland, Lieutenant Colonel Jukka Lukkari, explained to Yle that this was done due to the sharply increased number of people trying to enter Finland from Russia without the necessary entry documents.
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