Since before the war, around 60,000 Russians have legally obtained Schengen tourist visas to travel within Europe, a policy initially meant for tourism and business. However, this access enables the Russian regime to exploit such legal channels to conduct hybrid warfare, including espionage, sabotage, and propaganda campaigns in European states. European security services have raised alarms about how Russia uses visa access as a 'window' for covert infiltration, posing significant security challenges. The article describes how these tourist visa routes have become part of Russia's broader hybrid war toolkit, leveraging freedom of movement to undermine European security from within. It details evolving European concerns and the calls for stricter visa policies to counter these threats. The situation illustrates complexities of balancing open borders and security in hybrid warfare contexts.

Since before the war, around 60,000 Russians have legally obtained Schengen tourist visas to travel within Europe, a policy initially meant for tourism and business. However, this access enables the Russian regime to exploit such legal channels to conduct hybrid warfare, including espionage, sabotage, and propaganda campaigns in European states. European security services have raised alarms about how Russia uses visa access as a 'window' for covert infiltration, posing significant security challenges. The article describes how these tourist visa routes have become part of Russia's broader hybrid war toolkit, leveraging freedom of movement to undermine European security from within. It details evolving European concerns and the calls for stricter visa policies to counter these threats. The situation illustrates complexities of balancing open borders and security in hybrid warfare contexts.