Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the joint statement issued by the ministers of the Baltic states, Nordic countries, and Poland.

A coalition of European Union countries is pushing to bar Russian citizens who participated in the war against Ukraine from entering the Schengen Area, citing serious security concerns,  Estonian broadcaster ERR reported on June 19.

The call comes as Russia increased its hybrid operations targeting the European Union. EU security agencies have repeatedly warned of Russian-linked sabotage operations, including arson attacks, orchestrated by Moscow as part of hybrid warfare strategies.

Interior ministers from the Baltic states, Nordic countries, and Poland met in Tallinn on June 19, where they issued a joint statement confirming their intent to prevent entry into the visa-free Schengen zone for Russians who took part in the war against Ukraine, ERR reported.

"There are hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens who have fought against Ukraine," Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said following the meeting. "We must take a clear stance; these individuals cannot freely travel across Schengen."

"We will not issue them residence permits or visas," he added. "This group, which has been killing and destroying, poses a very significant security threat to all of us."

The ministers emphasized that this restriction should remain in place even after active hostilities cease in Ukraine.

"Member States should take all necessary measures to ensure that individuals who are or have been contracted by the Russian armed forces or other armed groups acting on behalf of the regime are not allowed to undermine our security or move freely within the Schengen Area," the joint statement read.

The high-level meeting also included European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, as well as representatives from the EU border agency Frontex.

The Schengen Area allows for visa-free travel across 29 European countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. While several EU member states have imposed national restrictions on Russian travelers, others continue processing applications, keeping access routes open.

Latvia has been among the most vocal proponents of stricter visa policies for Russian nationals. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze urged on May 25 all EU countries to suspend visa issuance to Russians, citing escalating security threats from Moscow.

"Latvia calls on the EU countries to halt visa issuance for Russian citizens, citing security concerns," Braze wrote on X. She noted that Schengen visa approvals for Russian nationals had surged by 25% in 2024 compared to 2023.

Latvia imposed entry restrictions in September 2022 as part of a coordinated effort with Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland. Czechia followed suit in October 2022.

Concerns over the abuse of Schengen visas and diplomatic privileges have intensified amid a wave of suspected Russian sabotage and espionage on EU soil. Polish and Czech authorities have recently led an effort to limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the bloc, targeting individuals allegedly working under diplomatic cover for Russian intelligence services.

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An explosion on a rail line in Russia's Voronezh Oblast on June 5 caused damage to the track and disrupted train travel along the line, regional Governor Alexander Gusev claimed.

The explosion occurred in a remote area between the communities of Yevdakovo and Saguny in Voronezh Oblast.

Gusev claimed that no one was injured in the explosion that immediately disrupted the travel of at least 19 passenger and commercial trains. The explosions was allegedly caused by an improvised explosive device.

The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by Russian officials. The full extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Russian officials have not yet laid blame publicly as to the cause of the explosion.

Ukraine's intelligence agencies as well as Ukrainian partisan movements have previously been involved in sabotage attacks on Russian railways, disrupting the transport of military cargo toward the front line.

Neither the Ukrainian military nor the partisan movement Atesh commented on the alleged attack.

Ukraine's Military Intelligence Agency (HUR) said Ukrainian drone operators destroyed three Russian fuel tanks during a strike on a train moving through occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on May 24.

Overnight on May 31, following the collapse of an overhead road bridge, a train derailed in Russia's Bryansk Oblast killing seven people and injuring 69.

Voronezh Oblast neighbors Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast and is often used as a launch point for Russia's attack on the front line as well as the city of Kharkiv.

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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

At least seven people are dead and another 69 injured after a train derailed in Russia's Bryansk Oblast overnight on May 31, following the collapse of an overhead road bridge, Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz said.

At least three children have been injured in the derailment, with one being treated in hospital with serious injuries. The conductor of the train has been killed in the incident, Russian-state media outlet TASS reported.

A total of 44 people were hospitalized as a result of the derailment, officials said.

Photos and videos posted on social media appears to show damage sustained to the train after an impact with the bridge. Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported that a total of 379 people were on board the train at the time of derailment, around 10:45 p.m. local time.

Preliminary reports suggest that explosions were heard in the Vygonichsky district of Bryansk Oblast ahead of the impact, and Moscow Railways, a subsidiary of state-run Russian Railways, claimed that the bridge collapsed due to the "unlawful interference in transport operations."

No further information was provided as to the cause of the bridge collapse, and the full extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by Russian authorities. Kyiv has not commented on the reported derailment.

The passenger train, numbered 86, reportedly runs from the town of Klimovo in Bryansk Oblast to the Russian capital of Moscow.

Bryansk Oblast, located in Russia's far-west, borders Ukraine's Chernihiv and Sumy Oblast, and has been the target of various Ukrainian strikes.

Ukraine's intelligence agencies as well as Ukrainian partisan movements have previously been involved in sabotage attacks on Russian railways, disrupting the transport of military cargo toward the front line. There is no immediate indication either was involved in the train's derailment.

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