The U.S. State Department has issued a “Do Not Travel” warning to Americans planning travel to Russia and has ordered all Americans currently inside the country to depart immediately.
The Embassy cited a lengthy list of potential consequences for U.S. citizens in Russia. These include “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.”
The statement explained that the “U.S. government’s ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Russia is severely limited” because the Russian government has imposed “limitations on travel for embassy personnel and staffing.” The warning cited “the ongoing suspension of operations … at U.S. consulates.”
The Embassy advised Americans that U.S. credit and debit cards cannot be used in the country and sanctions imposed on Russian banks have made it difficult to transfer money into the country. Moreover, “there are reports of cash shortages within Russia.”
Finally, they informed travelers that “commercial flight options are extremely limited and are often unavailable on short notice.” Travelers were told to “make independent arrangements as soon as possible.”
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Americans warned to leave Russia as State Dept. issues ‘do not travel’ alert https://t.co/T7ih20scOY pic.twitter.com/y6XNWxeEXG
— New York Post (@nypost) February 13, 2023
1. 🇺🇸 Americans warned to leave Russia as State Dept. issues ‘do not travel’ alert.
2. 🇫🇷 France “strongly” advises its citizens against going to Belarus.
3. 🇧🇷 Brazilian embassy warns Brazilians to leave Russia and Belarus as soon as possible.
Eyes on.
— SemperFidelis17 (@FidelisSemper17) February 13, 2023
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Reuters reported that the Kremlin dismissed the embassy’s warning, pointing out that this was just the latest of many similar warnings in the past. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “They [these warnings] have been voiced by the State Department many times in the last period, so…
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