Americans Urged to Avoid Russia as State Department Reaffirms Top-Level Travel Warning

The warning comes as Russia has alleged there was a drone attack against Putin's residence and deployed nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles near NATO borders.

Tom Ozimek

Published: 12/31/2025, 4:21:12 PM EST

Americans Urged to Avoid Russia as State Department Reaffirms Top-Level Travel Warning — People enjoy skating at a temporary open air ice rink in the center of Red Square, with St. Basil’s Cathedral (L) and the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower (C) in the background, in Moscow on Dec. 1, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. State Department has reaffirmed its strongest travel warning for Russia, urging Americans not to travel to the country for any reason and calling on U.S. citizens already there to leave immediately, citing dangers of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the risk of wrongful detention, and the possibility that they may be used as “bargaining chips.”

In an advisory reissued on Dec. 29, the department maintained Russia at Level 4: Do Not Travel, a designation first imposed in May and reserved for countries presenting extreme safety and security risks. While the advisory level itself was unchanged, officials said the summary was updated to reflect continuing dangers to U.S. nationals, including being targeted for mistreatment or extortion.

“U.S. citizens may serve their entire prison sentence without release,” the advisory warned. “The risk of wrongful detention of U.S. citizens remains high. Even if a case is determined wrongful, there is no guarantee of release.”

The department said Russian security services have repeatedly detained and questioned U.S. citizens without credible evidence, including on false charges, and have denied fair legal treatment in some cases. Officials warned that Russian authorities do not always notify the U.S. Embassy when Americans are detained and may delay or deny consular access altogether.

“Russian authorities have a history of wrongfully detaining U.S. nationals and using them as bargaining chips,” the advisory states, noting that Russian law allows foreigners to be punished for treason, which can include working for organizations officials view as acting against Russian interests.

The advisory also noted severe constraints on U.S. diplomatic operations in Russia. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow operates with reduced staff and limited travel authority, while all U.S. consulates in the country remain closed.

Dual U.S.-Russian nationals face heightened risks, the State Department said, as Russia does not recognize U.S. citizenship for individuals it considers Russian citizens. Authorities have blocked consular access to detained dual nationals, prevented some from leaving Russia, and forcibly conscripted others into military service.

“Do not travel to Russia for any reason,” the State Department said in the advisory, reiterating that the risks to U.S. citizens remain severe and unpredictable.

For Americans who nonetheless choose to travel to or remain in Russia, the department urged extensive preparations, including arranging legal documents, sharing sensitive information with trusted contacts, establishing a communication plan, and preparing for prolonged detention without outside assistance.

Alleged Drone Attack, Military Escalation

The warning came on the same day Russia alleged that Ukrainian forces tried to carry out a large-scale drone attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in the country’s Novgorod region. Russian officials claimed that 91 drones were launched in the purported attack, all of which were intercepted by air defenses. No evidence has been publicly released.

The Kremlin said the alleged incident would harden Moscow’s stance in ongoing negotiations to end the nearly four-year war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the reported strike an attempt to derail diplomacy, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described it as “state terrorism” that would not go unanswered.

Ukraine has denied Russia’s drone attack claims, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that Moscow was spreading falsehoods to justify further bombing of Ukrainian cities and to undermine peace efforts. He accused the Kremlin of using unverified allegations as a pretext for retaliation and escalation.

The State Department’s travel warning update also comes amid fresh signs of military escalation, with Moscow announcing this week that its new Oreshnik intermediate-range missile system—capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads—has entered active service. Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Dec. 30 that the nuclear-capable system has been deployed to Belarus, a close Kremlin ally that borders NATO members Poland and Lithuania.

This type of missile, which Russia first used against Ukraine in November 2024, has been described by Putin as capable of traveling at hypersonic speeds that make interception difficult, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Putin compared its impact to that of a meteor strike that can “form entire lakes” and with an explosion that disintegrates its target “into elementary particles—essentially turning it into dust.”

Despite the heightened rhetoric and military moves, U.S.-led diplomacy continues in a bid to end the long-running Ukraine–Russia war, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”

Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump in Florida on Dec. 28 to discuss security guarantees, territorial issues, and a draft political framework for ending the conflict, while Russian officials have said talks with Washington are making “slow but steady” progress.

Despite progress in the talks, the parties have acknowledged that key issues—including territorial control in eastern Ukraine and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant—remain unresolved.

From The Epoch Times