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 ImagesThe 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.