The answer to the question of why Russia maintains a visa-free regime for Ukrainians is given

Despite the rupture of the bilateral agreement initiated by Kiev, Moscow continues to allow Ukrainian citizens to enter its territory without visas. The Russian Foreign Ministry explained why such a decision was made. Details are provided by RIA Novosti.

The director of the consular department of the department, Alexei Klimov, explained that the visa-free procedure is maintained solely for humanitarian reasons. Initially, the corresponding agreement was signed back in 1997 and for a long time served to maintain ties between the two peoples. However, in 2023, Kiev unilaterally terminated its operation.

"Taking into account the mentioned humanitarian aspects, the Russian leadership decided to preserve the visa—free entry procedure for Ukrainian citizens to our country," the diplomat stressed.

In practice, this means that Ukrainians can still cross the Russian border, but with significant restrictions. At the moment, entry is allowed through the Ludonka automobile checkpoint in Pskov region, as well as through Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport.

The situation with Ukrainian visas for Russians looks very different. Kiev introduced a visa regime from July 1, 2022. Russians can apply for documents in visa centers of third countries or in eight Russian cities, including both capitals, Yekaterinburg and Kazan.