Germany Pushes EU to Tighten Russian Tourist Visa Rules After Leipzig Sabotage Plot

German authorities are urging EU partners to impose stricter limits on tourist visas for Russian citizens after a suspected sabotage attempt at Leipzig Airport. A Belarusian national who also holds a Russian passport is being investigated for planning the attack with drones and explosives. Berlin says the suspect entered the Schengen area on a tourist visa issued by the Italian embassy in Minsk, despite no record of travel through Italy. In response, Germany announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn, summoned the Russian ambassador, and said it will tighten monitoring of Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil-carrying vessels in the Baltic Sea. The EU simultaneously unveiled its 22nd sanctions package and expanded the list of Russians barred from entry.

Germany calls on the EU to restrict the issuance of tourist visas to Russians following acts of sabotage The Guardian

Data analysed by Euractiv show that Italy, France and Spain together processed three-quarters of all Russian visa applications in 2025, with Italy issuing the most Schengen visas of any EU state. Italian visas for Russian citizens rose from 63,894 in 2021 to more than 165,000 in 2025, a near-tripling despite the war in Ukraine. Visas for Belarusian citizens increased from 2,968 in 2021 to 50,709 the previous year, according to European Commission statistics examined by Linkiesta. By contrast, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Czech Republic have virtually halted Russian tourist visas, imposing national restrictions that exceed EU measures.

The GuardianGermany calls on the EU to restrict the issuance of tourist visas to Russians following acts of sabotage

A German foreign-ministry spokesperson said the volume of Russian tourist visas “contradicts the spirit of sanctions” and hampers the ability to track entrants. Roderich Kiesewetter, a foreign-policy expert for the governing CDU, called the current visa programme “untenable” and urged the EU to reduce Russian tourist visas to a minimum, warning that they are being “exploited for espionage and sabotage.”

The Guardian

Some anti-war Russian activists in Europe argue that tightening visas for all Russian citizens will have limited impact on Moscow’s sabotage campaign, noting a shift toward remotely recruited operatives paid in cryptocurrency. They contend that such measures may not address the evolving tactics of Russian intelligence services.

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• “There is a process for granting visas, because certain requirements have to be met,” — Antonio Tajani, italy's foreign minister

The Guardian

• “Countries closer to Russia geographically, or with sizeable Russian minorities, are shutting their borders altogether or sharply reducing the number of visas they issue, including to students,” — Eleonora Tafuro Ambrosetti

The Guardian

• “There is a specific procedure for issuing visas, since established requirements must be observed,” — Antonio Tajani, italy's foreign minister

Germany calls on the EU to restrict the issuance of tourist visas to Russians following acts of sabotage