Russians are using Belarus as a springboard to travel abroad as their country's international borders remain largely closed as part of efforts to curb the spread of the new
Coronavirus, transport sector sources say.
Russia and Belarus form a customs union and their shared frontier is relatively porous, making it easier to avoid border guards by taking certain routes.
Unlike
Russia, President Alexander Lukashenko has refused to impose a lockdown in Belarus, which also borders
Ukraine and
European Union member states Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.