Finland sees more Russians seeking safety over border following military mobilisation

Traffic into Finland over its border with Russia was heavy on Friday, with the number of Russians crossing rising steadily since President Vladimir Putin ordered a military mobilisation, border guards said.

The number of Russians who had entered the previous day was more than double the amount who arrived the week before, they said.

"This morning it remains busy...maybe increasing a little bit from yesterday," a border guard spokesperson said.

Max, a 21-year-old Russian student who declined to give his last name, said he was going to Finland to catch a flight to Germany to visit relatives.

"Technically, I'm a student so I should not be afraid of being drafted but we have seen that things are changing very quickly so I assume there is a chance," he told Reuters after crossing the border at Vaalimaa.

"I just wanted to be safe," he said.

About 7,000 people entered from Russia on Thursday, some 6,000 of them Russian, meaning a 107% increase compared with the same day a week earlier, according to the border guards.

Three people had sought asylum on Thursday. None had the week before, it said.

A Russian couple, 29-year-old Slava and 35-year-old Evgeniy, also left because of the uncertainty of being called up in the military at some point.

They had decided to leave the moment Putin announced the partial mobilisation on Wednesday, they said. They had left their dog Moby behind with friends. Their families cried when they left, they said.

"At the current stage, we are not in demand, but we do not know what is going to happen tomorrow," Slava told Reuters. "We don't support what is happening now. We don't want to be a part of it."

"It was a difficult decision (to leave). We have plans, we have careers. The best scenario is to go back. On the other hand, (saving our) life is essential."

Finnish land border crossings have remained among the few entry points into Europe for Russians after a string of countries shut both physical frontiers and their air space to Russian planes in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

At Vaalimaa, the busiest crossing point, cars lined up for up to 400 metres on Friday, a longer queue than the day before, a border official said.

"Compared to Friday last week, we have more traffic," Vaalimaa station deputy chief Elias Laine told Reuters. "We expect the traffic to remain busy over the weekend."

Those arriving by car or bus left their vehicles to have their paperwork checked before continuing on with their journeys. Border guards searched some vehicles.

Lines were also "longer than normal" at the second-biggest Nuijamaa crossing.

Finland opted to keep its frontier with Russia open following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine although it has cut back the number of consular appointments available to Russian travellers seeking visas.

Finland is considering barring most Russians from entering.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday the government was assessing risks posed by people travelling through Finland and was considering ways to sharply reduce transit from Russia.