– I am against war, and do not want to risk being sent to war. I’m tired of all the propaganda, says a Russian man in his 20s. news meets the man at the airport in Kirkenes. He has just crossed the border from Russia, and is clearly affected by the situation. He has fled from Moscow to Norway in order not to be forced into the war. He only has a tourist visa with him. He will travel on to Turkey. At home, he has a wife and two small children. – I hope to eventually get them out, to a new and safe home, he says. The young man wishes to remain anonymous. He says he is terrified of what could happen to both himself and those at home if he is identified. He is clearly frustrated with how the country is run. news has spoken to dozens of Russians in the churches today, including entire families. All are escaping from what they describe as a dictatorship. Many say they now want to find a new home in Turkey, others mention both Germany and Argentina. They also say that several Russians are trying to cross the border to Norway, but that it is difficult to find transport. Expensive transport from Russia to Norway On the bus he took across the border, according to him, there were close to 40 men in the same situation as himself. He says they were all very nervous when they drove through the various military border posts on their way to the Norwegian border. – After each border check, we breathed a sigh of relief, he says. A bus from Russia at Storskog border station in Eastern Finnmark today. On this sat several Russians who were afraid of being sent to the war in Ukraine. Photo: Stian Strøm / news He paid for the transport from Murmansk to Norway a few days ago. He got the ticket for 600 euros. Today, the same ticket costs over 1,000 euros, says the man. Several news have spoken to mention the same price. He is unsure whether he will ever return home to Russia, and what will happen in the future. The young man also says that he has friends who have been sent to Ukraine. – So far, two of them have died. Increased traffic over Storskog The despairing Russian dad is far from alone. Many Russian citizens have chosen to leave the country following Putin’s announcement of military mobilization. At the weekend, 17,000 Russians crossed the border into Finland, according to the Finnish border control. On Facebook and the Russian messaging app Telegram, several Russians have asked about the possibilities of getting to Norway via Storskog. The police in Finnmark also report that traffic has increased over the border station in recent days, but that the number of travelers is still limited. – Since Wednesday last week, we have seen a certain change. We see tendencies towards the same picture that appears elsewhere in Europe, including at the Finnish-Russian border. That’s what Sølve Solheim, section leader for operational immigration control in the Finnmark police district, tells us. – There is a certain increase and a certain different type of traveler. But the number of trips to Storskog is still very low, Solheim points out. There is still little traffic over the border station at Storskog in Sør-Varanger, but in recent days it has increased, according to the Finnmark police district. Photo: Stian Strøm / news More Russian men On Sunday, a total of 243 people entered Storskog. 167 of these had Schengen visas. – We expect that traffic will be able to increase this week as well, says Solheim. It is the number of Russian men, who come with Schengen visas, that accounts for the biggest increase. Holders of Schengen visas can currently enter Europe via Finland or Norway. Norway canceled its visa agreement with Russia the day after Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization. However, Russians can still apply for both a visa and asylum in Norway.
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Several Russian men escape from Russia via the border at Storskog in Finnmark in Norway – news Troms og Finnmark
