MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. Russia is introducing restrictions on crossing the national border on March 30 in accordance with the government’s order. The document shows that these restrictions apply to car, railway, walking, river and mixed border checkpoints on the border. At the same time, truck traffic is unaffected. Moreover, movement across the Russian-Belarusian border will be limited.
"The restrictions are introduced to prevent the coronavirus infection from infiltrating Russian territories," the Russian border facility agency says.
According to the agency, more than 300 checkpoints were operating in Russia is early March.
Categories exempt from restrictions
The order reads that only diplomatic staffers and their family members are cleared to cross the border as well as truck drivers, river vessel and international train crews, inter-governmental courier service employees and diplomatic post couriers if they present valid IDs. Moreover, Russian citizens and foreigners who enter "in light of a family member passing away if they present a copy of the death certificate and documents attesting to their degree of relationship" are also exempt.
Moreover, Russia’s Kaliningrad Region residents will also be cleared to cross the border aboard trains going from one part of Russia to another, transiting through other states, those residents are required to hold passports proving their residency in the Kaliningrad Region. Russian citizens who permanently live in Ukraine’s Lugansk and Donetsk Regions will also be allowed to cross the border.
Earlier, the Russian Railways informed that the restrictions will not affect the timetable of trains departing from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Minsk and Kaliningrad.
Overall, the Russian Railways cancelled trains travelling to 20 countries since the coronavirus outbreak began - Abkhazia, Austria, Azerbaijan, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, North Korea, Poland, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, while trains travelling between Russia and Kazakhstan could previously be boarded by Kazakh citizens returning home and other nationals leaving from Kazakhstan.
Russia cancels international flights, restricts entry for foreigners
On March 27, Russia fully cancelled regular and charter flights, only allowing airlines to conduct flights to bring Russians home from other states. At the same time, the ban is not applied to cargo, postal, sanitary and humanitarian flights. In light of these restrictions, Russia’s Pobeda low cost airline announced that it will not conduct any flights between April 1 and May 31.
On March 18, Russia temporarily restricted entry into the country for foreigners and stateless persons including those arriving from Belarus until May 1.