Ban on tourism services and restrictions for diplomats: new EU sanctions against Russia

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European companies have been prohibited from providing tourism services in Russia, while Russian diplomats face new travel restrictions across the Schengen zone. These measures form part of the 19th package of sanctions targeting the energy, financial, and military-industrial sectors. The new document is the most extensive since the beginning of the year, expanding restrictions for Russian entities and their partners in third countries.

Tourism under sanctions

The EU extended its restrictions to the travel sector, banning European companies from arranging trips, bookings, and accommodation for tourists in Russia. The decision aims to reduce cash flows that could be used to finance military operations in Ukraine. The document states that the purpose of the sanctions is to "discourage unnecessary travel" and cut off any revenue channels benefiting the Russian economy. This is the first time the measures have targeted services—rather than supplies or investments—including mediation and information support. Once enforced, European tour operators and online agencies will be barred from offering trips to Russia or cooperating with local partners.

The Russian Union of the Tourism Industry explained that the ban applies exclusively to European companies working with EU tourists. Market participants in Russia continue to receive and serve foreign visitors as usual. Vice President of RUTI Georgy Mokhov noted that the restriction does not block entry itself but effectively limits opportunities for organized groups and joint projects. The organization believes the measure will have minimal impact since European travel flows to Russia have already dropped significantly since 2022.

ATOR Vice President Artur Muradyan also stated that Russian tour operators "almost do not work with European suppliers at all". In 90% of cases, European tourists book services on aggregator websites that may have no direct connection to Russia. He added that the EU initiative is mostly symbolic and discriminatory—affecting primarily the citizens and legal tourism companies of the EU itself.

ATOR Vice President Alexander Musihin said that this year there were only a few tourist groups from Bulgaria and Italy, following standard routes—Moscow and St. Petersburg. There are some requests for next year, but they remain isolated. Local host companies continue to provide services to all tourists, including EU citizens, and intend to keep doing so. Unorganized travel remains common—mostly by residents of the Baltic states and Germany visiting relatives or handling personal matters without using tour operators.

According to the Border Service of the FSB, in the first half of 2025, Russia was visited by 65,950 citizens from European countries—ten times fewer than in 2019 (567,084). The largest number of travelers came from Germany (26.4 thousand), followed by Estonia (7.5 thousand) and Latvia (5.2 thousand). However, most of these visits were not tourism in the strict sense: travelers came to see relatives, on private or business trips, while residents of the Baltics mostly crossed the border for shopping.

Diplomats under control

Another significant measure in the 19th EU package restricts the movement of Russian diplomats. When traveling outside their country of accreditation within the Schengen area, they must now notify the relevant state in advance. In addition, certain member countries may require official permission for entry even if the diplomat already holds a visa or residence permit issued by another EU member. The decision is justified as necessary to strengthen security "amid increasingly hostile intelligence activity". The measure turns diplomatic travel into a matter of approval rather than an automatic right, marking a new level of pressure on Moscow.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that if such measures were approved, the Russian authorities would prepare reciprocal restrictions for representatives of unfriendly states. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized that Moscow reserves the right to respond to any hostile actions by the European Union. "We will respond, as always, adequately, carefully, and guided by our core interests," she said. The Russian government has not yet announced specific countermeasures.

Energy, finance, and defense

The new sanctions package bans the import of Russian liquefied natural gas: long-term contracts will end in January 2027, and short-term ones within six months. Pressure has increased on Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, and entities involved in operating the “shadow fleet” transporting oil, military cargo, and Ukrainian grain. The sanctions list now includes 117 more vessels from Russia’s “shadow fleet,” mostly tankers, bringing the total number to 558. Additionally, the United States announced new restrictions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, triggering a nearly 3% rise in global oil prices.

In the defense sector, the sanctions hit companies from Russia, China, the UAE, and North Korea that supply weapons and dual-use technologies. In finance, new measures target institutions such as Alfa-Bank, MTS Bank, and Absolut Bank, as well as eight entities from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, and Hong Kong involved in circumventing European restrictions. The EU banned any operations with the stablecoin A7A5, created with Russian state backing, and prohibited interaction with the “Mir” and “SBP” payment systems. Restrictions on AI, computing, and space services were also expanded.

Conclusion

Conditions for Russia continue to tighten. The 19th package has become the most comprehensive since the beginning of the conflict, covering energy, finance, diplomacy, and services. Meanwhile, analysts note a worsening economic situation in Russia and growing pressure on its budget. Whether this will change Moscow’s stance toward Ukraine remains unclear: the government is focused on finding internal revenue sources. A recently adopted tax hike shows that Russia is trying to offset losses and strengthen the budget, preparing for a prolonged period of sanctions pressure.