Any US citizens still in Russia are urged to leave immediately.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine has continued, Kremlin authorities have been clamping down on any dissenting voices in Russia’s cities. This applies to Russian citizens, as well as foreign nationals living in these cities. As the conflict has intensified, foreign nationals, especially those from the United States, have been facing increased harassment from authorities, prompting the US State Department to issue a warning.
This week, the State Department issued an official “do not travel” warning on Russia, urging any and all US nationals currently in the country to leave immediately in the interest of their own safety. ”US citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately. Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions,” the warning reads.
The warning adds that “due to the unpredictable consequences of the unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces, the potential for harassment and the singling out of US citizens for detention by Russian government security officials, the arbitrary enforcement of local law, limited flights into and out of Russia, the Embassy’s limited ability to assist US citizens in Russia, and the possibility of terrorism.”
“Russian security services have arrested US citizens on spurious charges, singled out US citizens in Russia for detention and harassment, denied them fair and transparent treatment, and convicted them in secret trials or without presenting credible evidence,” the State Department said.
