The drone plot at Leipzig airport has given European countries that have long pushed for tighter restrictions on Russian travellers a new argument. German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on Wednesday that one of the two suspects identified by German authorities was a Belarusian man travelling on a Russian passport. Investigators believe he entered the Schengen area using a tourist visa issued by Italy. The second suspect was identified as a Russian-born man with a Latvian passport.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Later in the day, Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, said after an informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers that capitals had shown “broad support” for an EU-wide visa ban on current and former Russian combatants, alongside tougher rules for Russian tourists. “Many member states have flagged… that actually these kinds of tourist visas are used for sabotage acts,” Kallas said. The measures were included in the EU’s latest sanctions package against Russia but watered down after resistance from France, Italy and Greece. France and Italy were also among the EU countries that issued the most visas to Russian tourists in 2025, Euractiv first reported. The Leipzig case has put Italy in an uncomfortable spot. The reported use of an Italian visa by one suspect could intensify pressure on Rome and other reluctant capitals to tighten their rules as Russia steps up sabotage and other forms of hybrid warfare across Europe.