On Sunday, as Russia continued its invasion of Ukraine, the State Department issued a Security Alert urging U.S. citizens to leave Russia through commercial means while they are still available.
“An increasing number of airlines are cancelling flights into and out of Russia, and numerous countries have closed their airspace to Russian airlines. U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available,” the Alert said. “The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens that the Department of State’s Travel Advisory level for Russia is at ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel.’”
The same day, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union would ban all Russian flights and aircraft from its airspace.
“First, we are shutting down the EU airspace for Russians. We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft,” the statement read. “These aircraft will no more be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the EU. This will apply to any plane owned, chartered or otherwise controlled by a Russian legal or natural person.”
The alert comes a month after a Level 4 Travel Advisory was issued warning Americans against traveling to Russia.
“Do not travel to Russia due to ongoing tension along the border with Ukraine, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens, the embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, COVID-19 and related entry restrictions, terrorism, harassment by Russian government security officials, and the arbitrary enforcement of local law,” the advisory said.
