American citizens in Russia should seek to depart the country "immediately" amid Russia's push to conscript 300,000 more men to help bolster its war effort in Ukraine, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow warned in a security alert Wednesday.
Why it matters: While this is not the first time the U.S. embassy has warned citizens in Russia to leave the country since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, the alert warns that dual U.S.-Russian citizens may be subject to the new draft.
What they're saying: “Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’ U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, prevent their departure from Russia, and conscript dual nationals for military service,” the alert stated.
- It warned that U.S. citizens “should not travel to Russia” and that those already living or traveling in the country “should depart Russia immediately while limited commercial travel options remain.”
- While land routes out of the country remain open, commercial flights are "extremely limited at present," it added, noting that the embassy itself has limited capacity to help U.S. citizens trying to leave and that travel options could become "even more limited."
The big picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of the mobilization last week sparked a rush of Russian men fleeing for the borders to escape the draft.
- Satellite images show the line of cars attempting to cross Russia's border into Georgia stretching more than 10 miles long.
- A number of Russia's neighbors have moved to close their borders to Russians amid the influx.
