The European Union has said it would deny Russians multi-entry visas as security fears rise nearly four years into the war on Ukraine.
"From now on, Russian nationals will no longer be able to receive multiple-entry visas. This means Russian nationals will have to apply for a new visa each time they plan to travel to the EU," the EU said in a statement.
It said there will be "exceptions for justified cases such as independent journalists and human rights defenders" under the new rules.
"Starting a war and expecting to move freely in Europe is hard to justify," EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X.
"The EU is tightening visa rules for Russian nationals amid continued drone disruptions and sabotage on European soil."
The visa curbs come as fears have risen over the threat of Russian "hybrid warfare" in the EU after air space incursions and unexplained drone sightings in numerous countries.
The bloc already tightened controls on travel by Russian diplomats stationed in the 27 EU countries in new sanctions last month.
The EU says the number of visas issued to Russians fell from more than four million before the war to some 500,000 in 2023.
But EU diplomats said the the number of approvals has begun to rise again.
Tourist hotspots France, Spain and Italy are among countries providing the most visas.
Meanwhile, the European Union should move military trainers into Ukraine after the war there ends to strengthen Ukrainian forces as part of Western security guarantees, the EU's top military adviser has said.
General Seán Clancy, chair of the EU's military committee, said the United States would remain important for Europe's security even as the EU gears up to be ready to defend itself by 2030.
NATO will continue to provide "hard power" to defend Europe but the transatlantic relationship will be rebalanced with Europeans becoming more self-reliant, said Gen Clancy, former Defence Forces Chief of Staff.
The EU's defence push has been driven by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and US President Donald Trump's demands for Europeans to take more responsibility for their own security.
With the war in Ukraine showing no sign of ending, Western officials have been developing post-war plans to bolster Kyiv’s forces and deter Russia from attacking its neighbour again.
Gen Clancy said it would be "optimal" to move part of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAMUkraine) into the country after the war. The mission has already trained more than 80,000 soldiers outside Ukraine.
Gen Clancy said strong Ukrainian forces would serve as a security guarantee for both Ukraine and Europe.
"Europe can provide a high degree of that level of training. Will some of that be in Ukraine? I think that is optimal," he said.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in September there was broad support from EU countries to take such a step, but no decision has been made yet. It would likely depend on the terms of any ceasefire or peace deal, diplomats say, and would need the backing of all 27 EU member states.
Gen Clancy said the size of any EU presence inside Ukraine would depend on what Kyiv wanted and the type of training required.
"This is something that we are...prudently examining in concert with our colleagues in Ukraine. And their needs are changing as well," he said.
As chair of the EU military committee, Gen Clancy serves as the voice of the military chiefs of the bloc's member countries in discussions on defence and security policy.
That has included providing advice for the European Commission’s "Defence Readiness Roadmap", which aims to prepare Europe to "credibly deter its adversaries and respond to any aggression" by 2030.
But Gen Clancy said the US-European security relationship would remain important, not least because Europeans would still be using US weapons systems, even while striving to expand their own defence industries.
"For Patriot missiles, for F-35s (fighter jets) - all of the equipment and the high-end equipment that we already have sourced in the United States has a lifetime of decades to come," he said.
