Full customs control has been introduced at the border between Estonia and Russia, the government of this Baltic country announced today. Previously, random border checks were in place.
The measure was introduced at the street and railway crossings of Narvi, Koiduli and Luhamai.
For anyone crossing the border on foot, full control will mean checking every person and their luggage, while every car will also be checked along with their cargo. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Mihal said that the goal of introducing new border measures is to prevent goods subject to European Union sanctions from passing through Estonia.
According to Estonian Finance Minister Jurgen Ligi, such goods include "many suspicious items", such as military goods.
Since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union has imposed 14 packages of sanctions on the country. They include, among other things, economic measures, such as restricting imports and exports, which affect various sectors in Russia - from energy, through banking, industry and transport, to Russian state media, which are banned from working in the EU.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the list of sanctioned individuals whose entry and assets have been frozen in the EU has been expanded, and citizens of the Union are prohibited from trading with them.
The list includes almost 2.200 individuals and legal entities - companies or other institutions. Among the sanctioned subjects are Russian banks, companies in the military industry, mechanical engineering, aviation and shipbuilding sectors.
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