Russian officials banned from traveling abroad: for official visits, you need to obtain permission from the Prime Minister

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin effectively closed the borders to his subordinates. High-ranking government officials can now travel abroad only on official business and only with the permission of the prime minister. At the same time, even in the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin there are no such strict rules. The edition told in more detail The Bell.

Photo: IStock

In connection with the war in Ukraine, Russian civil servants and employees of state-owned companies have been significantly limited in their ability to travel around the world. And it's not just the sanctions that have been imposed on many.

For example, back in the summer of 2022, the leadership of the Central Bank of Russia "strongly recommended" employees to refrain from traveling to "unfriendly" countries until "special instructions". But since then, for some, the situation has worsened even more. The most serious approach to the issue was in the government, say two sources familiar with the new working conditions for officials.

On the subject: Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia: he is suspected of espionage

Recently, virtually all government leaders - from ministers and chiefs of staff to heads of departments - can travel abroad only with special permission and in agreement with the prime minister, moreover, only within the framework of operational necessity.

At the same time, there are no such strict restrictions for employees of the presidential administration of the Russian Federation, both sources say. One of them explains the difference in restrictions for employees of the Kremlin and the government by Mishustin's "special zeal". However, the majority of the Kremlin employees “do not even try” to leave somewhere.

Although another source said that some Kremlin employees traveled quite calmly to “neutral” countries over the past year, and the head of the Kremlin administration, Anton Vaino, could personally sign permission for such a trip.

How civil servants are gradually becoming restricted to travel abroad

There is more and more evidence that it is becoming increasingly difficult for officials and employees of Russian state-owned companies to leave the country:

• some civil servants were forced to surrender their foreign passports;
• Federal and regional officials, as well as representatives of government agencies, were banned from leaving Russia for the New Year holidays.

According to sources, in the Russian Federation they believe that employees abroad can “misuse the information they have about Russian industry and its condition against the backdrop of a special operation.”

Before the war, only employees of law enforcement agencies and civil servants with the first level of access to classified information had such restrictions.

According to the Financial Times, Russian intelligence services began to confiscate passports not only from high-ranking officials and secret carriers, but also from middle-ranking officials, as well as managers of state-owned companies who do not have access to classified information.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the strengthening of restrictions on foreign travel for workers in sensitive industries.

“In some they are formalized, and in some they depend on specific decisions regarding specific employees,” he said.

Categories subject to the travel ban are seized both service and personal passports, and in the database of the border service, opposite their names are “flags”. Alexei Kudrin's trips to Israel last year and the departure of Anatoly Chubais were personally coordinated by Vladimir Putin.

Read also on ForumDaily:

'Everything has slowed down': what a person feels when lightning strikes him

Harder than rocket science (almost): how to properly install a US mailbox

Inexpensive device will make your flight comfortable, even if you are sitting in the middle

Top 15 Vegetables and Fruits with the Least Pesticides

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.