The U.S. on Sunday issued a top-level advisory telling American citizens in Russia to leave immediately and cease travel to the country amid the threat posed to them by local authorities as Vladimir Putin’s war against neighboring Ukraine continues.
In the message, the embassy cited “the potential for harassment and the singling out of U.S. citizens for detention by Russian government security officials” and “the arbitrary enforcement of local law” as reasons for Americans to leave the country or avoid traveling there altogether.
“Do not travel to Russia 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 U.S. 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 U.S. citizens in Russia, and the possibility of terrorism,” reads the alert.
“U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Russia should depart immediately. Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions.”
The warning marks the highest level, Level 4, of alerts issued by the State Department and comes as the Russia-Ukraine war nears its first anniversary on Feb. 24.
It also comes amid concerns that Moscow is amassing troops for an offensive that could coincide with that one-year mark.
The Biden administration was forced last year to release convicted Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout in a prisoner swap for the American basketball star Brittney Griner, who was detained in Russia last February and sentenced to nine years in jail for the possession of a gram of hash oil.
