{
  "id": 5122566,
  "title": "After the full-scale war began, Germany cut visas issued to Russians tenfold. It plans to cut that number even further.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/after-the-full-scale-war-began-germany-cut-visas-issued-to-russians",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T15:58:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/02/after-the-full-scale-war-began-germany-cut-visas-issued-to-russians-tenfold-it-plans-to-cut-that-number-even-further"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Following the onset of full-scale war, Germany has drastically reduced the number of visas it grants to Russian citizens by tenfold, with plans to cut this number even further. This move came after Germany accused Russia of trying to sabotage a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane at Leipzig Airport and announced the closure of Russia's consulate general in Bonn and the \"Russian House\" in Berlin, as well as tightening entry controls for Russian citizens. German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese stated that tourist trips by Russian citizens to Germany \"cannot continue in the same format as before\" due to the ongoing aggressive war. Giese added that different countries apply varying levels of strictness when deciding whether to issue Schengen visas. Germany aims to negotiate further visa reductions with its European Union partners and ensure entry only for Russians who do not pose a danger, though the specifics of how this determination will be made were not disclosed. Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev confirmed that staff at the \"Russian House\" in Berlin had seven days to leave the country, stating that the staff of Rossotrudnichestvo must also leave. On August 5, a drone with explosives was discovered near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane at Leipzig Airport, leading Germany to officially accuse Russia of attempted sabotage on September 1. German consulates issued approximately 27,000 short-term Schengen visas to Russian citizens in 2024, compared to about 330,000 in 2019 before the pandemic. EU statistics show that European Union countries issued 620,000 Schengen visas to Russian citizens in 2025, a 10.2% increase from the previous year. Russians submitted over 670,000 visa applications in 2025, an 8% increase from 2024, with nearly three-quarters of applications going to France, Italy, and Spain.",
  "summary": "German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese said Germany plans to further reduce the number of tourist visas it issues to Russian citizens, Deutsche Welle reported.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}