Most Russian soldiers named by Ukraine still face no Schengen travel ban

Ukraine has passed its European partners the identities of more than half a million Russian soldiers, but almost a year later fewer than 1% of those names have been entered into the database that border guards across Europe consult before admitting travellers. The gap means most of the individuals on the Ukrainian list are not flagged in the system used at European borders.

Key facts

• Ukraine shared the identities of more than half a million Russian soldiers with its European partners.
• Almost a year has passed since the list was handed over.
• Fewer than 1% of the names have been entered into the Schengen Information System.
• The Schengen Information System is the database border guards across Europe check before letting travellers in.
• The United States has barely engaged with the list, the author of the commentary states.

What is the Schengen Information System?

The Schengen Information System is the database that border guards across Europe check before letting travellers in. Names entered into it can therefore surface when a person crosses an external Schengen border or travels within the area.

Ukraine's list of Russian soldiers was intended to feed into that screening process through its European partners. According to the figures cited, fewer than 1% of the names have actually been entered after almost a year.

Why does the delay matter?

Because the Schengen Information System is the tool checked at European borders, individuals who are not entered into it are not flagged by that database when they travel. On the numbers given, the overwhelming majority of the names Ukraine supplied are not currently in the system.

The author characterises Europe's handling of the list as slow, and argues that the United States has barely raised the issue at all. No explanation for the delay is given in the source.

What this means for travellers

The source announces no new visa requirement, fee, document rule or entry procedure for ordinary travellers. The practical effect concerns the named individuals on the Ukrainian list, whose details are largely missing from the database European border guards consult.

No start date, deadline or timetable for completing the entries has been announced, and the source does not say whether the United States intends to act on the list.