Thousands of Russian tourists taken hostage by Montenegrin authorities amid #COVID-19 spread

A diplomatic scandal has erupted between Russia and Montenegro as the tiny Adriatic country refused to issue permits for flights from Montenegrin airports to bring back thousands of Russian tourists to their homeland amid the current COVID-19 outbreak, writes Martin Banks.

Almost 2,000 Russians, including small children, had to spend three days in the streets of Montenegrin cities after the authorities suspended their flights back to Russian citing coronavirus while hotels refused to host them without a COVID-19 negative test. Some of tourists ran out of vital medicines.

Russian aircrafts were in the airports ready to fly to Moscow and other Russian cities, but Montenegrin authorities suddenly refused to issue permits for the flights, according to a source at one Russian airline explained.

Sources in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that as a condition for issuing such permits, Montenegro demanded to deliver several dozens of its citizens from Moscow to Tivat free of charge. "This is actually a kind of blackmail from the Montenegrin government and an attempt to make profit out of global tragedy," he added.

Moscow had  reportedly to reach to some kind of agreement with the Montenegrin authorities and, as a result, after three days the authorities have issued permits for several flights of the Russian carriers "Aeroflot", "Pobeda" and “S7”. According to Pobeda airline spokesperson Elena Selivanova, “Russia tourists have never been treated so barbarously and inhumane as in Montenegro.”

Until recently Montenegro was the only European country with no cases of COVID-19 registered. On March 16 the government suspended all international public air, railroad and road transport and closed its ports and marinas for all incoming cruiser ships and yachts. But on March 17 the authorities reported on the first two cases, and as of March 20 the number of cases increased to 13. Experts believe that the real figure is much higher, as the level of medical services and diagnostics testing capacities in the country are poor.

Large Montenegrin cities like Podgorica, Bar and Niksic are already witnessing food panic. The country imports most of its food, medicine and other basic necessities from Serbia, but recently the Serbian Government has banned their export.

The coronavirus outbreak in the world threatens the tourism sector in Montenegro, which brings about a half of all Montenegrin revenue. If the pandemic continues during the summer season, the country could face economic collapse and default on its debt which exceeds 80% of country’s GDP.

More than 25% of tourists visiting Montenegro are Russians and coastal town Budva is even dubbed “Moscow on the sea”.

But Montenegro’s once close relations with Russia have cooled since Podgorica joined Western sanctions against Moscow in 2014 and joined NATO in 2017. Recently the country’s long-time ruler Milo Djukanovic  accused Russia and Serbia of undermining Montenegro’s independence by fueling massive anti-government rallies that were taking place throughout the country since the beginning of the year.  

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