At the Helsinki station, Russian passengers flock from St. Petersburg. Many have already packed their bags before the next border closure and the threat of martial law.
The number of passengers on the St. Petersburg-Helsinki route has increased dramatically since the start of the war in Ukraine. Many Russians are fleeing the country for fear of the consequences of international sanctions and possible martial law.
“It is clear that the motivation of passengers has developed in recent days. You just have to look at the amount of luggage carried by passengers to find out that they are leaving their country forever, “he said. Topi Simolavice president of the Finnish company, VR Railways.
The Russians are buying tickets to Erenvan and Dubai
While the trains are almost full in the direction of the capital of Finland, the race for airline tickets has started on the Internet. Even if the closure of European airspace leads to a price explosion, the Russians are multiplying reservations for airports in Dubai and Yerevan in Armenia.
“They are obviously afraid of the next few weeks,” explains Elena, a communicator. “People no longer feel secure and know that the economic situation will only get worse in the coming days. Among the candidates to leave are many who, from a moral point of view, can no longer bear to stay in Russia. “
Imposing a future martial law would be unprecedented in modern Russian history. This may include mass mobilization of the male population and closure of borders.