Germany has called on EU countries to significantly restrict the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens following an investigation into a suspected attempted attack on Leipzig Airport. The suspect — a Belarusian national holding a Russian passport — entered the Schengen Area on a tourist visa issued by the Italian embassy in Minsk.
Briefly about the main points
- Berlin has described the number of tourist visas issued to Russians for entry into the EU as too high.
- The suspect in the Leipzig case is believed to be linked to an attempted attack involving drones and explosives.
- Italy is investigating the circumstances surrounding the issue of his Schengen visa.
- Italy issued more than 165,000 visas to Russians last year.
- Six EU countries have almost completely stopped issuing visas to Russians.
Berlin considers the current practice to be incompatible with Russia’s isolation
The German Foreign Ministry has stated that the number of visas granted to Russians for holidays in the European Union is too high. Berlin believes that the mass issuance of such documents runs counter to the policy of isolating Russia due to the war against Ukraine and makes it more difficult to determine who is entering the EU and for what purpose.
Foreign policy and security expert for the ruling Christian Democratic Union Roderich Kisevetter called on the EU to immediately suspend the tourist visa programme for Russians. In his view, the issuing of such visas should be reduced to the «absolute minimum», as freedom of movement within the EU could be exploited for espionage and sabotage.
Italy is checking the visa of a suspect in the airport case
German security authorities are investigating a case involving a Belarusian national who also holds a Russian passport. He is suspected of attempting to attack Leipzig Airport using drones and explosives. According to security sources, the man is not believed to have travelled via Italy, although his visa was issued by the Italian embassy in Minsk.
Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs Antonio Tayani He instructed that the circumstances surrounding the issue of the document be investigated. He noted that visas are granted to applicants who meet the requirements and have no personal alerts on file, and that the Italian side must ascertain whether this was the case here.
The visa policies of EU Member States vary considerably
In 2025, Italy issued more than 165,000 visas to Russian citizens, compared with 63,894 in 2021. According to Euractiv, Italy, France and Spain accounted for three-quarters of all visa applications from Russians to the EU.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Czech Republic have almost completely stopped issuing visas to Russian citizens. These countries have introduced national restrictions that go beyond the scope of the pan-European measures.
Berlin is stepping up its response, whilst activists question the effectiveness of the bans
Germany has stated that Russian intelligence may have been behind the suspected operation in Leipzig. Following this, Berlin announced that the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn, summoning the Russian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and tightening controls on the ‘shadow fleet’ transporting oil across the Baltic Sea. The EU also announced its 22nd package of sanctions and an expansion of the list of Russians barred from entering the EU.
Some Russian anti-war activists warn that blanket restrictions on all Russian citizens may not put a stop to sabotage operations. According to them, Russian security services are increasingly recruiting operatives remotely via Telegram and paying for individual tasks in cryptocurrency; in several cases in Germany and Lithuania, the suspects were Ukrainian or Baltic citizens, rather than Russians.
