From March 1, 2026, Russian scientists will have to obtain permission from the FSB for any contacts with foreign colleagues. The requirement will also apply to dealings with Russian companies whose founders include foreign individuals or entities, and the approval process may take up to 70 days.
In an interview with Novaya Gazeta Europe, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, biophysicist and Tel Aviv University researcher Andrei Tsaturyan said the measure would affect science “extremely negatively.” In his view, tighter control and criminal cases built on far-fetched grounds will weaken international ties and further provincialize Russian science.
For people who remember the Soviet system, this looks like a return to old practices: extra approvals, caution about publishing abroad, and a sense that scientific contacts are treated as suspicious, Tsaturyan said.
He stressed that many modern breakthroughs emerge not from closed state programs but from small international teams and startups. In that model, he argued, an “autochthonous” science cut off from the world is doomed to fall behind. He said the risk would be especially visible for younger researchers, who may choose to leave while borders are not yet fully closed.
Tsaturyan also noted that after 2022 Russian researchers had already lost access to several major international projects, including the ESRF, CERN and the European X-ray free-electron laser XFEL. In his view, cooperation with other countries cannot replace facilities of that class, and the damage to research will be long-lasting.
Contacts with foreign colleagues have not disappeared entirely, but they have become fewer, as potential participants fear possible consequences. The scientist also said the new rules could be used as a formal pretext for prosecutions, since security agencies have an interest in opening new cases and advancing careers.
Speaking about the approval timeline, Tsaturyan said a delay of two and a half months could be critical in fields that depend on rapid data exchange, such as pandemic response. He added that even if informal online communication survives, it cannot make up for the loss of personal contacts and conference travel.