Research under Surveillance

The Russian government has issued a decree regulating the interaction of scientists with foreigners. Starting March 1, 2026, researchers will be required to obtain approval for any international contact. The independent outlet Takie Dela interviewed experts to understand the potential consequences.

Under the new rules, Russian scientists must secure permission from the Ministry of Science and the FSB to take part in research projects with foreign scientists or organizations, as well as Russian companies established by them. Authorities will have up to 70 days to review each request. If a researcher is denied, they may reapply, but the process restarts from the beginning. The FSB will take previous decisions into account.

According to Mikhail Ignatyev, a co-founder of T-invariant, a publication covering Russian science, the decree will primarily affect civilian research, including the humanities, because scientists involved in classified work are already monitored by security agencies.

Ignatyev notes that today's most meaningful scientific progress typically emerges through international collaboration, and cases where research is conducted solely within one country are rare. Astrophysicist Sergei Popov shares this view.

According to Ignatyev, even writing a scientific paper that requires interaction with foreign colleagues will fall under the new rules. "It turns out that any publication in a foreign journal will pass through the FSB, because it can be viewed as transferring information to foreign states," he said.

Because of long approval times, routine work by individual scientists and entire research groups will slow even further. "A scientist’s success, salary, and entire career depend on how they are represented in international journals," Ignatyev said.

Popov agrees that delays could be critical in some areas. Popov does not yet understand how to plan projects that depend on real-time data exchange or rapid responses to partners. He believes scientists will increasingly avoid contact with foreigners to avoid the notification and approval procedure.

"The new decree creates even more formal grounds to treat normal scientific work as the transfer of information to foreign states," Ignatyev said.

Experts warn this will deepen the isolation of Russian science. "Each time, a scientist will wonder whether it's worth the trouble. Maybe it’s easier to do everything on their own, to take the simplest route. In the end, it will turn into an imitation of science," Ignatyev said.

Notably, in recent years, Russian scientists have increasingly faced treason charges, often triggered by cooperation with foreign colleagues. In May 2024, a St. Petersburg court sentenced 77-year-old physicist Anatoly Maslov to 14 years in a maximum-security colony for allegedly transferring classified research to foreigners. And in October 2022, physicist Alexander Lukanin received seven and a half years on accusations that he had passed certain technologies to China.

The new decree does not specify penalties for scientists who continue international cooperation without approval from the security services.

Valeria Vetoshkina, who works with the independent Russian human rights media project OVD-Info, said she thinks that international scientific collaboration will be impossible. "Previously, when treason cases were opened, at least the defense could argue that projects had been approved by various commissions. Now, without explicit permission, the risks will only grow. Unfortunately, Russia still maintains a trend of prosecuting scientists for international contacts," said Vetoshkina.