There are now less than 100 border crossings per day
2,687 border crossings were counted on the Norwegian-Russian checkpoints in February, down 34% year-over-year.
With exception of the years of the pandemic, the number of people traveling across the land border between Norway and Russia has not been lower since the days of the Soviet Union.
Just under 100 border crossings took place on an average day in February, the Norwegian Police in charge of immigration informs.
That is 27% decrease from January and 34% down compared with February 2024.
At the peak in 2013 the numbers were almost 10 times higher, on average nearly 1,000 people per day, in total 320,000 for the year.
Storskog (Norway) and Borisoglebsk (Russia) are the northernmost land border crossing between Schengen Europe and Russia. The border is still open, and allows for Russian citizens with valid visas to transit to other Schengen member states when the purpose of the travel is to visit near relatives in Europe.
The Norwegian gateway is also popular among Russians with dual citizenship, living in northern Europe, when traveling home for to meet friends and family. Especially so after Finland last winter decided to close its border with Russia.
Flying north via Murmansk and Kirkenes are for many cheaper than using the air route between Moscow or St. Petersburg and Beograd, Istanbul or Dubai.
There is a daily minibus from Murmansk in the morning that corresponds with the noon flights from Kirkenes to Oslo. On return, the minibus can bring people directly to the airport in Murmansk, from where there are connections to Moscow, Arkhangelsk and St. Petersburg.
As part of the sanctions regime, Norway bans Russian private cars from entering the country. However, after the ban was introduced, cars with licence plates from Armenia and Kazakhstan can nowadays be seen in the border town. Especially commuters, those living in Murmansk but working in Kirkenes, have hired vehicles with such number plates in order to circumnavigate the European sanctions.
