Russia issues travel advisory to citizens against travelling to US

Russia's foreign ministry has alerted its citizens regarding travel to the US. The advisory has advised them of potential risks and they have been asked to evaluate the potential risks. This travel advisory comes to light after recent incidents where Russian nationals have been detained by law enforcement agencies in the US. This has been done under questionable charges, which include the alleged kidnapping of their own children when attempting to leave the country.

The ministry highlighted that there have been troubling regressions into "vicious practices" of US law enforcement. Specifically, Russian citizens – primarily women – have been detained on what the ministry considers baseless accusations of kidnapping minors born from marriages with Americans.

In its statement, the ministry strongly recommends that Russian travelers carefully consider all possible dangers before visiting the United States and, if possible, avoid such travel altogether.

Numerous examples underscore these concerns. Although the ministry refrained from disclosing personal details, it shared a notable case to illustrate the issue. Last spring, a Russian woman was detained upon arrival at a New York airport after her ex-husband accused her of unlawfully taking their daughter from their home. US authorities dismissed crucial context, such as the child's birth certificate, which indicated the absence of the father's name, and relied solely on DNA test results provided by the ex-husband. Compounding the issue, her second child, whom she had traveled to the US to retrieve, was with her ex-husband at the time of her detention.

The Foreign Ministry characterised this incident as a form of hostage-taking aimed at returning the child to the United States.

The Russian embassy in Washington is actively involved, providing consular and legal assistance to the detained woman. The ministry has assured that they will demand her release and her reunification with her children, asserting that the resolution of this situation should follow legal and civilized procedures. Meanwhile, the daughter is currently residing in Russia with her grandmother, who is receiving support through the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights to obtain guardianship.

(With agency inputs)