If your travel plans in the near future involve making your way to Russia, the U.S. State Department has some information they would like to share with you. More specifically, they have some information that they would like to share with you in order to convince you not to go. In late December, the agency issued its highest possible warning against visiting the country in question. Or, as the agency’s website bluntly declares: “Do not travel to Russia for any reason.”
The State Department’s warning is at Level 4 — “do not travel.” Some State Department advisories point travelers in the direction of reviewing their plans or making sure that they really, really want to go; this is more direct. The State Deparment also advises Americans currently in Russia to leave as soon as possible.
“There is no guarantee that the Russian government will grant the U.S. Embassy consular access to detained U.S. citizens,” the State Department writes. “U.S. citizens may serve their entire prison sentence without release.”
The warning also notes the ongoing war with Ukraine as well as a 2024 ISIS attack in Moscow. The State Department also advised dual citizens of the U.S. and Russia that they may be drafted to fight against Ukraine if they visit Russia. The warning also mentions Russia’s hostility towards LGBTQ+ people, which can also lead to imprisonment.
US State Department Issues Warning to Antarctic Travelers
Antarctica has been experiencing environmental challengesAgain, these warnings are not exactly subtle. “Be ready for the possibility of detention for an unknown amount of time, possibly without a clear reason, and without the ability to contact your embassy or anyone else for help,” one reads. Russia was not the only country with a Level 4 travel warning updated at the very end of December: a similar warning about Belarus was updated on the same date.
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