The U.S. State Department has warned Americans not to travel to Russia due to the "unpredictable consequences" of the military conflict in Ukraine, and those who are there should leave right away.
"U.S. citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately. Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions," the State Department said in a travel advisory issued Monday. The advisory was Level 4, the highest one there is.
"The U.S. government's ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Russia is severely limited, particularly in areas far from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, due to Russian government limitations on travel for embassy personnel and staffing, and the ongoing suspension of operations, including consular services, at U.S. consulates."
The Kremlin said it was not the first time that U.S. citizens had been asked to leave Russia. The last such public warning was in September after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization.
"They (warnings) have been voiced by the State Department many times in the last period, so this is not a new thing," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said in January that prosecutors had opened a criminal case against a U.S. citizen on suspicion of espionage.
The State Department advisory said that U.S. citizens should note that U.S. credit and debit cards no longer work in Russia, "and options to electronically transfer funds from the United States are extremely limited due to sanctions imposed on Russian banks".
The State Department noted that commercial flight options "are extremely limited and are often unavailable on short notice".
"If you wish to depart Russia, you should make independent arrangements as soon as possible. The U.S. Embassy has severe limitations on its ability to assist U.S. citizens to depart the country and transportation options may suddenly become even more limited.
Reuters contributed to this story.【【
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