Estonia has announced the temporary closure of its Narva crossing with Russia during the upcoming May holidays, citing national security and public order concerns. According to regional reports, the border checkpoint will shut down from April 30 to May 2, 2025, as per the Estonian government's draft order.
The order specifies, "For the interests of national security and the maintenance of public order, crossing of the state border through the 'Narva-1' checkpoint will be suspended from April 30, 2025, until May 2, 2025, and the checkpoint will be closed." During this closure, Estonia's police and border guard are set to conduct 'Shield' exercises aimed at preparing for scenarios involving migration pressure and national defense crises.
This directive is planned to come effective from April 30, but as of now, the official announcement does not appear on the Estonian government's website. Transportation companies operating routes between Ivanгород and Narva have not formally communicated these restrictions yet. Interestingly, on the website of Lux Express, tickets for travel from Tallinn to St. Petersburg during the affected dates are still available, whereas Ecolines has already pulled any ticket options for those dates.
Andrey Volkov, the director of Ecolines, confirmed to reports from Фонтанка, stating, "Transport companies have already been informed about the upcoming border closure due to the exercises. Customers who purchased tickets for those days will be eligible for refunds." This has raised questions among travelers who are unsure about their travel plans.
Currently, there is no information about the closure of two other border checkpoints, Shumilkino-Luhamaa and Kunichina Gora-Koidula. The Ivanгород-Narva motor vehicle checkpoint has been under reconstruction since February 1, 2024. Post-construction, travelers must take one bus to the border and switch to another to reach their destination.
According to Russian authorities, the reconstruction is expected to continue at least until the end of 2025. Previously, on May 1, 2024, the Narva-Ivanгород checkpoint began closing at night, now operating daily from 07:00 to 23:00. Notably, on June 20, Estonia prematurely closed the border checkpoint due to excessive queues, which had surpassed the acceptable limits. The following day, reports indicated gigantic lines forming at the Narva crossing.
Consequently, Estonia made the decision to close the border on weekends, redirecting travelers to Luhamaa and Koidula checkpoints along the Pskov region border. This move mirrored challenges faced by passengers from Russia as well. To address the situation, on July 4, Russian customs and border services increased their operational readiness significantly.
Reflecting on the previous months, lengthy wait times were again recorded at the Narva crossing on February 13, 2025, prompting significant public concern.