INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
government closed four border crossing points in response to an increased flow of third-country asylum seekers coming from Russia.Since
September, over 300 undocumented asylum seekers, mostly young men from the Middle East, have arrived at the Finland-Russia border, mostly at
the four southern crossings that have now been closed.Kainuu Border Guard deputy commander Tomi Tirkkonen told Finnish public broadcaster
border."We do not accept such accusations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters."Border crossings are used by those who have the
right to do so," he added, calling Finland's accusations "far-fetched."Russia warned earlier that Finland could close all its border
crossings."Such a decision would obviously contradict Finland's national interests," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Russian
news agencies.Finnish Prime Minister Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has accused Russia of deliberately seeking to destabilize his country in
response to its joining NATO earlier this year.Starting Monday, Finland will lead its first major joint naval exercise since joining the
About 4,000 troops from various allies, including the U.S., will participate in drills in southern Finland and the Baltic Sea.Tensions on
Border guards forcefully stopped one group, including using a gas spray on one person.One border station director told Yle that the Russian
authorities were pushing asylum seekers through their side of the border and closing the gates behind them so they could not return to
forest near the border crossings.About 200 kilometers of permanent border fences are planned to be erected in the coming years.Some 200 to
300 people protested Sunday afternoon in the Finnish city of Lappeenranta, calling for at least one of the southern border crossings to be
reopened so they could maintain contact with friends and family in Russia.AFP contributed reporting.
