- The State Department is warning that Russia might single out US citizens to harass and detain.
- A new security alert urged US citizens to leave Russia immediately and avoid traveling there.
- Russia has limited commercial flight options, and US credit and debit cards no longer work.
The US State Department issued a new security alert late on Tuesday warning US citizens to leave Russia, saying that Americans could be targeted by Russian security officials for harassment or detention.
In the alert, the State Department urged US citizens to get out of Russia immediately and avoid traveling there due to the potential for "harassment," "singling out of US citizens" for detention, the "arbitrary enforcement of local law" by security officials.
The State Department also warned of limited commercial flight options in and out of the country and said US credit and debit cards no longer work.
"Options to electronically transfer funds from the United States are extremely limited as a result of sanctions imposed on Russian banks," the alert said. "There are reports of cash shortages within Russia."
In the days following Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency employees of the embassy in Moscow, and their families.
Relations between the US and Russia have only deteriorated since, as Western nations slapped harsh sanctions against the nation's economy as punishment for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to bombard Ukrainian cities.
In the latest round of peace talks, Russia said it would scale back assaults near Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv.
But the Pentagon later said it remained skeptical of any Russian promises and said any Russian troop movement is likely a repositioning, rather than a legitimate withdrawal.
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