The situation was stable and the flow of travelers wad relatively low, the State Border Guard said. However, there was more activity on the other side of the border. At least two mobile polling stations for the so-called "elections" of the Russian President had been set up just behind the "Grebņeva" border checkpoint.
"The Russian side had not officially informed us about any such thing, but we found out through a survey of border crossers that two mobile polling stations are located on the opposite side in Ubilinka. But, as the border crossers told us, they are not popular and they did not see any bustle or active movement. In fact, there are buses, but nothing is happening," said Colonel Jurijs Vlasovs, head of the Ludza administration of the State Border Guard.
Other eyewitnesses, however, told Latgale regional television only behind the scenes that fake news may have been made near the buses, imitating more activity, officials in suits were seen. However, the three Russian citizens encountered on Latvian territory did not like the interview questions and looked for reasons to end the conversation.
Latgale Regional TV: Did you vote today?
Galina: Of course I did.
Latgale Regional TV: For whom?
Galina: For our president, not for yours. Of course, no one will say for whom, especially because the elections are not over yet. We want to go forward, there are still people behind us, so let us go first. We simply have nothing to say to you.
Other border crossers stressed that they were not interested in politics. In their view, the responsibility for ensuring that the "elections" are fair lies with Russia itself, not with its neighbors.
This weekend, around 170 Russian citizens crossed into Russia at Grebneva and Terehova, six fewer than last weekend. Nearly 220 entered Latvia, 45 more than before.
The State Border Guard has observed that the majority of those crossing the border in one direction or the other during the weekend are those with dual citizenship, the reasons are domestic and the trips are planned in advance.
"No Russian citizens were found who expressed or declared their intention to go and vote, no Russian citizens were found who went to the Russian side for a short period of time and returned," Vlasovs explained.
