France has "strongly" urged its citizens to leave Russia if their presence there is "not essential", following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last week and the closure of airspace between Russia and the European Union.
"In the context of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and following the imposition of international sanctions, we must increase our vigilance," the French foreign ministry wrote on its website.
Already last Sunday, Paris had advised French citizens passing through Russia to leave the country.
The ministry referred French citizens to the website of its embassy in Russia for a "non-exhaustive" list of "indirect" flights to France after EU member states closed their airspace to Russian planes and services.
🔴 #Russie
— France Diplomatie🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@francediplo) March 3, 2022
Dans le contexte créé par l'invasion de l'Ukraine par la Russie, il est fortement recommandé aux Français dont la présence n’est pas essentielle en🇷🇺de quitter le pays.
Liste non exhaustive des liaisons indirectes vers la🇫🇷→ https://t.co/iDC8BdSA1Q@FranceEnRussie pic.twitter.com/WXez0XMRs6
"We know that there are a lot fewer flights. We think that people who don't have an absolutely essential reason to remain in Russia should take the choice to leave," a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.
The government also urged French citizens to "defer any trips to Russia".
