"Because you are Russian": this is the answer received by a Russian woman in her thirties, on July 28, after being refused entry to the Château de Vincennes.

Russian nationals were deprived of visits to the Château de Vincennes (Val-de-Marne), which also houses the archives of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, since an internal directive issued following the invasion of Ukraine, learned on Monday AFP from concordant sources.

"A guard at the metal detector asked to see my passport," she told AFP.

Confused, this Russian tried again to enter, talking with another guard.

But it also does not allow him to enter.

Asking them about their refusal, the guards finally let go of the reason for their refusal.

"I was upset," says the young woman, a journalist by profession, who fled Russia "because of the war" and arrived in France "five months" ago.

“Indiscriminate application” of the rule

The Château de Vincennes, located south-east of Paris, notably contains one of the centers of the Service Historique de la Défense (SHD), whose libraries and archives are accessible to the public under certain conditions.

Questioned by AFP, the Ministry of the Armed Forces explained that it had, "following the invasion of Ukraine", "restricted access to the military premises of the ministry to Russian nationals".

He stressed, however, that “requests relating to journalistic functions” could be made.

The office of the Minister of the Armed Forces however regretted on Tuesday a lack of "discernment" and assured that the Russians were always authorized on its tourist sites.

The episode at the Château de Vincennes thus falls under an “application without discernment” of the rule enacted “in February for all military installations”, explained the cabinet.

No other similar cases?

“It goes without saying that (this rule) cannot be applied in the same way for strategic buildings as for places open to the public such as museums”, he insisted.

The Château de Vincennes but also the Air and Space Museum, the Invalides... can therefore always welcome tourists and Russian immigrants.

"The Minister of the Armed Forces asked that we clarify this directive with the agents of these places to avoid any incident" such as that of the Château de Vincennes, added his cabinet, which was not aware of another similar case.

Moscow denounces “hostile” measures

The Kremlin on Tuesday denounced "hostile" measures targeting its nationals in certain European countries, such as restricted access for Russians to the Château de Vincennes in France, calling for "common sense".

Moscow and kyiv have been at war for more than five months.

France crossed the threshold of 100,000 Ukrainian refugees in early August.

According to INSEE, 73,500 Russian immigrants lived in France in 2021.

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Château de Vincennes: Russian citizens banned from visiting by the Ministry of the Armed Forces

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