EU Set to Tighten Controls on Russian Diplomats After Surge in Sabotage Attempts

European Union member states have agreed to impose new restrictions on the movement of Russian diplomats within the bloc, in response to what intelligence services describe as a growing wave of sabotage and espionage operations carried out by Russian agents operating under diplomatic cover.

The Gaze reports this, referring to The Financial Times.

The new measures will require Russian diplomats stationed in EU capitals to notify local authorities in advance before traveling outside the country where they are accredited. 

The move is part of a broader sanctions package spearheaded by the Czech Republic, aimed at tightening Europe’s defenses against Russian intelligence activities and hybrid operations.

Diplomatic sources confirmed that Hungary, which had been the last EU member state opposing the measure, has now lifted its veto.

European intelligence agencies have long warned that Russian operatives posing as diplomats have been coordinating covert operations and running agent networks across multiple EU countries to evade counterintelligence monitoring.

The Czech government has been advocating for these restrictions since May 2024. Prague has already barred entry to several Russian diplomats suspected of espionage, but officials have expressed frustration that many others remain accredited in neighboring Austria, allowing them to legally cross into the Czech Republic without oversight.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský welcomed the EU-wide initiative, saying the new rules are essential to reestablish reciprocity in diplomatic relations with Moscow.

“There is no reason a Russian diplomat accredited in Spain should be free to travel to Prague whenever he pleases,” Lipavský said. “We must apply strict reciprocity in issuing short-term diplomatic visas, as outlined in the Vienna Convention.”

At the end of September, the Czech government introduced its own national measure, banning the entry of Russian diplomats and holders of service passports who lack accreditation in Prague.

As The Gaze previously reported, Lithuanian law enforcement detained members of a Russian-linked network accused of orchestrating multiple terrorist attacks in Europe.