European Union member nations have reached an agreement to limit the movements of Russian diplomats within the bloc, following escalating concerns regarding alleged Russian espionage and sabotage activities, as reported by the Financial Times on Tuesday, citing sources close to the situation.
The newly implemented restrictions, which are a part of a wider sanctions initiative stemming from the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, will require Russian diplomats residing in EU capitals to inform their host governments in advance if they wish to travel outside their designated country of accreditation.
This decision is a reaction to an uptick in suspected sabotage incidents—such as arson, cyberattacks, drone intrusions, and damage to critical infrastructure—that European intelligence agencies attribute to Russia.
EU security officials have highlighted that Russian intelligence operatives often exploit diplomatic immunity to carry out operations across borders, making surveillance more challenging once they exit their host nation. A senior EU diplomat noted that suspected agents become harder to track after they move across internal EU boundaries.
For instance, in the Czech Republic, which was the first to propose travel restrictions earlier this year, several Russian diplomats accused of espionage were expelled. However, many of those diplomats are reportedly still accredited in nearby Austria, giving them the ability to cross back into the Czech Republic freely.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin promised to retaliate against these movement restrictions, although further specifics were not disclosed.
Prague authorities had previously supported a complete ban on Russian diplomats traveling beyond their country of assignment.
“There is no ‘Schengen for Russia,’” stated Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský to the Financial Times, emphasizing that Russian diplomats should not benefit from the unrestricted access typically granted in the bloc’s open-border zone.
Hungary, which had been a primary opponent of these movement limitations, has now reportedly withdrawn its objections, paving the way for the inclusion of this measure in the EU’s upcoming sanctions package.
Nonetheless, the EU’s 19th sanctions package may still face delays due to disagreements surrounding Raiffeisen Bank International of Austria, which is seeking to recover damages it incurred in Russian courts.
Vienna has suggested unfreezing approximately 2 billion euros (or $2.3 billion) in assets previously linked to sanctioned oligarch Oleg Deripaska to reimburse the bank, a proposal that has raised concerns among at least a dozen EU diplomats who caution it could complicate the overall agreement.
Additional discussions regarding these sanctions are expected to take place on Wednesday.
