Estonian border closure could increase Christmas pressure at Storskog
With Estonia set to close its border with Russia on December 1, Norway’s Storskog checkpoint could become a preferred transit route for thousands of people with dual citizenship travelling between northern Europe and Russia over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
"We will not be intimidated. Estonia is preparing for the possibility of closing its border with Russia to reduce the risks to our people and national security," Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal wrote on X on Sunday, following reports from the Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) that an attempted arson attack had been carried out on the orders of Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU.
Eight Latvian citizens were detained after allegedly attempting to break into the premises of Threod Systems in Viimsi, north of Tallinn. The company says it is helping Ukraine with drone launchers.
"We know that Russian intelligence services exploit border crossings to exert influence over people. We must be prepared to reduce the risks we face," Michal said.
Estonia currently has three open border crossings with Russia for passenger and freight traffic: Narva, Luhamaa and Koidula.
Narva, the northernmost of the three, is particularly busy during holiday periods, as it also serves travellers going to and from Finland and Sweden. Finland closed its entire land border with Russia in late 2023 after FSB facilitated the arrival of migrants at the border in what Finnish authorities described as a hybrid operation.
Since then, many Finnish-Russian dual citizens have travelled via Narva, which is closer to the Helsinki region than Norway's northernmost border crossing near Kirkenes.
With Narva facing closure from December 1, Storskog could become a preferred alternative.
Unlike Narva, where only pedestrians are allowed to cross, Storskog remains open to vehicles with European registration plates. Finnair operates flights from Helsinki to Kirkenes, while minibuses based in Murmansk offer daily services across the border. From Murmansk, people can travel on to Karelia, Arkhangelsk, Moscow and St Petersburg with train or plane.
Storskog is the northernmost crossing between the Schengen area and Russia. The Norwegians still allow Russian citizens holding a valid visa for visiting close relatives in Europe to transit via Storskog.
Police statistics sent to the Barents Observer show that 3,783 border crossings were recorded at Storskog in October. A total of 40,395 crossings have been registered so far this year, representing an 8% decrease compared with the same period in 2025.
