Russia has warned its citizens not to travel to the United States and other Western countries, claiming they could be “hunted” by the authorities in those states.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova issued the warning in a news briefing on Wednesday, saying Russians could be caught in the crosshairs of perilous relations with the US, reports Al Jazeera.

“Trips to the United States of America privately or out of official necessity are fraught with serious risks,” she said, describing US-Russia relations as “on the verge of rupture”.

Russians should also avoid travelling to Canada and US allies in the European Union, said Zakharova, describing those nations as US “satellites”.

The US also advises its citizens against travelling to Russia, saying “they may face harassment or detention by Russian security officials” or “arbitrary enforcement of local laws” based on their nationality.

Russian and US diplomats say ties between the two countries are worse than at any time since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis due to the grinding war in Ukraine.

The US has been Ukraine’s biggest backer, giving it $62bn in military aid since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Last month, the US authorised Ukraine to use US-made long-range tactical missiles deep into Russia, a turning point in the war that angered Moscow and triggered it to lower its nuclear threshold.

Russia has also lashed out at a $20bn US loan to Ukraine – to be backed by profits from seized Russian assets.
“This is a manic desire to prolong the agony of the Kyiv regime, [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy] himself and all these corrupt deals that the [US President Joe] Biden regime created around the situation in Ukraine,” Zakharova told Russian media.

Both Moscow and Washington accuse each other of detaining citizens on trumped-up charges that have no foundation.

In August, Russia released three US citizens, including journalist Evan Gershkovich, in an extensive Turkiye-mediated prison swap with Western nations.

As part of the deal, the US freed Vladislav Klyushin, a Russian businessman convicted in a “hack-to-trade” fraud scheme; Roman Seleznev, the son of a Russian legislator jailed for involvement in a cyberattack; and Vadim Konoshchenok, a Russian security official arrested in Estonia and extradited to the US.