Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 50,000 Russian citizens have resided in Croatia, and even now, according to calculations, more than 7,000 of them reside in Croatia, writes Večernji list on Friday.

The number of Russian citizens is slightly lower compared to the same period last year, but arrivals have not only not stopped. In the shadow of the war in Ukraine, there remained a large number of Russian tourists who, more or less, continue their normal life, with numerous trips, both tourist and private.

This large number of Russians in Croatia shows something else - despite the fact that officially Moscow has declared Croatia an enemy state, "ordinary" Russians do not care and are coming. Obviously, the fact that there are no flights from Russia to any destination in the EU only bothers them a little, so they come by plane or via Serbia or Turkey. It could also be said that since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, more Russians have come to Croatia than Ukrainian refugees, of whom there are around 20,000.

It should be emphasized that Russians - except for those who are on the black list and under EU sanctions - can normally travel throughout the Union, for tourism or for some other reason, and use their property that they have in Croatia as well. They need a valid visa issued by all EU countries, including the Croatian consulate in Russia, which was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

As Croatia, albeit in smaller numbers, remains a destination visited by Russians, so are other tourist destinations in other EU countries. As it turns out, the issue of Russian visas and tourist visits will be the topic of a meeting of foreign ministers at the end of this month in the Czech Republic, the country that is currently presiding over the EU Council, writes Večernji list journalist Sandra Veljković.