The U.S. government has issued an advisory Thursday warning American citizens to leave Russia immediately and not to travel there under any circumstances, an advisory from the U.S. Department of State said.
Officials say there is a growing wave of quiet threats in Russia, which are not limited to the war in Ukraine. The threats include unexplained detentions as well as crackdowns on privacy and speech, the State Department said.
U.S. citizens have been harassed, threatened and wrongfully detained by Russian security services, the State Department said, adding that arrests have happened without clear reason, with some people being denied access to legal support or their own embassy. In most cases, Americans were targeted for expressing opinions or engaging in religious activity, the department further said.
Social media posts, protest attendance, or having the wrong content on your phone could be grounds for arrest, the State Department said, and dual U.S.-Russian citizens are facing additional dangers, including being blocked from leaving the country or being forced into military service.
Security threats are also going beyond law enforcement. Russia has seen a spike in terrorist attacks, including the 2024 Crocus City Hall massacre that killed 130 people, the government said. Drone strikes and explosions have impacted both border zones and cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg are keeping citizens and visitors in a state of uncertainty and fear, the State Department said.
Financial systems are also on the downfall as U.S. credit and debit cards no longer work in Russia.
The U.S. government has extremely limited abilities to help Americans in Russia, and, if you are detained, you may not be able to contact anyone, the State Department said.
If anyone is still considering traveling to Russia, know the risks go beyond warzones and politics, the federal government warned.
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Kaylee Remington is a trending news and metro reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Read her work online.