Americans were urged to refrain from traveling to Russia because of the events in Ukraine. Among the possible security threats are allegedly probable acts of terrorism and limited transport links in Russia. This was stated on February 28 in an official statement by the US State Department.
Citizens who are now in Russia are advised to leave the country immediately. The State Department has also authorized the voluntary departure from Russia of US Embassy staff in Moscow and their families. In addition, earlier it was reported about the closure of the US Embassy in Minsk.
The State Department has republished recommendations for travel to Russia and Belarus, replacing similar documents. In both cases, the mention of a special operation to protect Donbass, which is being carried out by Russia, has been added to the list of justifications for these recommendations.
On February 20, a warning for Americans in Russia about possible attacks in crowded places appeared on the official website of the US diplomatic mission. The publication emphasized that large cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as areas along Russia’s border with Ukraine, pose the greatest danger.
It was noted that US citizens were advised to consider their own evacuation routes from the country.
After that, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, turned to the embassy with a demand to explain this publication, and also asked if information about a possible threat had been transferred to the Russian side.
The head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, said on February 21 that the US embassy takes an unsolid position, spreading information about allegedly preparing terrorist attacks in Russia. On the same day, it became known that the FSB had not received information from the FBI and the CIA about supposedly possible terrorist attacks in Russia.
Since 2014, the Ukrainian authorities have been conducting an operation against the residents of Donbass, who refused to recognize the new government in Ukraine.
On February 17, 2022, the situation in Donbass escalated. The DPR and LPR reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including with heavy weapons. The republics announced a general mobilization and evacuation of civilians to the territory of Russia.
On February 21, Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR), as well as treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with the republics. The documents were ratified the next day.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of an operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass. After that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of hitting the country’s military infrastructure and introduced martial law throughout Ukraine. He also said that Kyiv is breaking off diplomatic relations with Moscow and withdrawing its diplomats from the embassy.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
