EU to reportedly restrict Russian diplomats' travel amid espionage surge
Editor's note: The article was updated with comments by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
EU governments have agreed to limit the movement of Russian diplomats in response to espionage and sabotage linked to Moscow, the Financial Times reported on Oct. 7, citing unnamed EU sources.
The measure follows a surge in hybrid operations targeting Ukraine's partners in the EU and NATO, including arson, cyberattacks, infrastructure sabotage, and drone incursions.
European intelligence agencies have blamed Moscow-backed operatives, many of whom reportedly work under diplomatic cover, for coordinating these provocations.
Under the proposed rules, Russian diplomats posted in EU capitals will be required to notify other member states before crossing national borders.
The initiative, led by the Czech Republic, aims to curb the mobility of suspected spies operating beyond their assigned countries. Prague has been advocating for such measures since May 2023.
By June 2024, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Romania had joined the Czech appeal, submitting a joint letter to then-EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
The Czech government has already banned several Russian diplomats and restricted entry for those holding official passports without Czech accreditation, outgoing Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Sept. 30.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov vowed a response to such a step.
"Unfortunately, Europeans are actively reviving their skills in building new dividing walls," Peskov told journalists.
The Czech Republic has been a leading voice in countering Russian espionage after one of the most serious acts of sabotage on EU soil in 2014, when explosions at a Czech ammunition depot killed two people.
Investigators later tied the attack to agents of Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU).
Final legal approval for the new restrictions may be delayed due to Austria's attempt to attach a separate clause to the package. Vienna proposed lifting sanctions on assets linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska to offset losses suffered by Raiffeisen Bank, which paid fines in Russia.
Further negotiations are scheduled for Oct. 8.
The European Commission unveiled its previous sanctions package against Russia on Sept. 19, focusing on tightening measures against banks and reducing energy revenues used to fund the war in Ukraine.
Oleg Sukhov
