The Polish authorities have said that the number of people crossing its border with the Kaliningrad region for the purpose of flying to Russia for Russian Christmas has increased significantly these days.
As the Polish Border Guard has revealed, around 17,014 people crossed the Bezledy and Grzechotki borders with Kaliningrad in a period of five days between December 23 and 27.
During the same period, a total of 4,998 vehicles were registered crossing the border.
Such a number of people and vehicles crossing the border is significantly higher compared to the other days, with the authorities saying that they expect a high number of crossings in the first days of January, too, as the Russian Christmas is celebrated on January 7.
According to Notes from Poland, due to the sanctions that the European Union has imposed on Russia, Russians cannot take direct flights from the EU. Thus, instead, they reach the Kaliningrad region or Türkiye and then from there, they fly to Russia.
While there are many Russians throughout the EU, it has been noted that Germany, in particular, has a large Russian population. As revealed, Russians residing in Germany travel with their cars to Kaliningrad’s Khrabrovo Airport. Upon their arrival there, they park their cars at the airport and fly to Moscow or St Petersburg.
As soon as their stay in Russia is over, they return to the same airport, take their cars, and then enter the territory of the EU again. This is currently one of the cheapest options to travel to Russia, and apart from Russians in Germany, those from other EU countries do the same.
While Russians find this convenient, Notes from Poland stresses that the ethnic Polish population in Kaliningrad are frustrated with the situation.
The ethnic Polish population who live in Kaliningrad and have Russian-registered cars have said that it is unfair for them not to be able to cross the border while Russians with EU-registered cars are permitted to.
Due to the ban imposed on Russian-registered cars, the ethnic Polish population in Kaliningrad said that despite holding Polish citizenship or a Karta Polaka, which confirms their ethnicity, they cannot travel freely to and from Poland.
Several of those in Kaliningrad region with a Karta Polaka said that they have no other choice but to pay someone with EU registration plates to take them to and from the EU, emphasising that the price goes up to €400.
Of the total number of people who crossed the Polish border with the Kaliningrad region between December 23 and 27, only 824 of them were Poles. This indicates that they are having trouble to travel from and to the region due to the restrictions.
