Russia requires scientists to get clearance for visits to “unfriendly” states PHOTO

Russian universities and scientific institutes have received guidance from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education on the need to obtain prior approval for scientists’ participation in events held in so-called “unfriendly” countries.

The ministry outlined this in a letter published by the local Telegram channel T-Invariant.

According to a letter from Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky dated January 26, participation in events in “unfriendly” countries should be “carefully evaluated in advance for possible politicisation” and, if necessary, coordinated through the Ministry’s Department of International Cooperation using the electronic document management system.

The move follows the detention of Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin in Poland at Ukraine’s request. Sources say that after this incident, several major federal universities have already frozen some employees’ overseas business trips scheduled for spring.

Currently, Russia’s list of “unfriendly” countries includes 49 states—25 EU countries, NATO members (except Türkiye, Hungary, and Slovakia), as well as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.

By Khagan Isayev