Russia bans University of Bremen research station from operating in country

The Russian Ministry of Justice has designated the Research Station for Eastern Europe (FSO) at the University of Bremen as an ‘undesirable organization’. This classification prohibits the institution and its members from conducting any research activities within Russia and forbids any cooperation with Russian entities.

University of Bremen Rector Jutta Günther described the move as an ‘attempt at intimidation’ and an expression of Russia’s hostility toward science. The FSO, founded in 1982, specializes in analyzing the politics and societies of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, providing free country analyses and examining developments in the post-Soviet region.

The FSO is a branch of the German Society for East European Studies, which was previously labeled an ‘extremist organization’ by Russia in 2024. The FSO joins several other German organizations on Russia’s list of prohibited foreign entities, including the German Historical Institute and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).