Kombos declares that the country has cut itself off from contacts with Russia

Cypriot Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos declared on Wednesday that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, his country had severed contacts with Moscow in both business and tourism. However, in a country with over 1.3 million inhabitants, every fifth foreigner is Russian.

Before the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russians constituted more than half of the foreigners living in Cyprus, and their number was estimated at 120,000-150,000. In November last year, according to data from the Cypriot Ministry of Migration, the number of Russians legally living permanently in Cyprus dropped to 40,000. This means that out of 200 thousand foreigners living in Cyprus 20 percent are Russians.

Meanwhile, the Cypriot authorities declare that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they have cut themselves off from relations with this country. On Wednesday, the head of the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a conversation with journalists in Brussels, said that Nicosia is wrongly accused of having warm relations with Moscow. As Konstantinos Kombos added, the Republic of Cyprus, like other member states, imposed sanctions on Russia immediately after the attack on Ukraine in 2014, and in 2016 the country adopted legislation criminalizing violation of sanctions.

The politician said that between 2018 and 2023, Nicosia eliminated nearly 42,000. Russian shell companies registered in Cyprus and closed over 125,000 bank accounts belonging to Russians. – Between 2015 and 2024, Russian deposits held in Cypriot banks decreased by 87%. and in 2024 they constituted only 1.5 percent. all deposits – he added. The ministry's data for 2025 shows that frozen Russian assets amounted to almost EUR 1.3 billion, of which EUR 901 million from investment companies, EUR 307 million from service companies and EUR 90 million from other entities.

Kombos also assured that tourism from Russia has dropped to zero. Before the war, Cyprus was the second most frequently visited destination by Russians, after Great Britain, and Russians constituted the second largest group of visitors. Data from the Cypriot government show that before the war, approximately 800,000 people visited Cyprus every year. Russian tourists. This was interrupted by EU sanctions, suspension of direct flights to the island and stricter visa requirements.

However, the same report states that the loss of the Russian market was offset by the inflow of tourists from other countries, including: from Poland, from which the number of visitors increased by as much as 133%, as well as from France, Germany and Denmark.

From Nicosia Jowita Kiwnik Pargana (PAP)

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