STOCKHOLM, November 18. /TASS/. The deputy commander of Finland’s North Karelia border guard, Samuli Murtonen, confirmed the use of gas at the Niirala border crossing, the Yle broadcaster reported.

"There was a group that did not obey the orders and warnings from a border guard," he was quoted as saying in the report. "In order to bring the situation under control, we had to use the mildest possible means, which in this case was a minor spraying of gas."

According to Murtonen, the person who was gassed was inspected afterward and received the necessary first aid, Yle reported. Murtonen could not specify what gas was used in the situation, but he said it was a gas commonly used by the border guard force.

On November 16, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced that the country’s government will close four border crossings on the border with Russia overnight into Saturday. He said the move aims to respond to a rising influx of "third-country nationals" to the border. The Finnish interior minister said the crossings will be shattered until February 18, 2024. A deputy head of the Finnish Border Guard said some northern border crossings will remain open.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Finland's decision to close border crossings on the border with Russia creates new dividing lines in Europe, and government agencies in Moscow will come up with a response to these actions.