The US State Department recommended that Americans leave Russia and Belarus

The US authorities recommended that the Americans leave Russia and Belarus as soon as possible. The State Department also called on fellow citizens to refrain from traveling to these countries. The reason for such statements was the situation in Ukraine. A similar statement was made by the US Consulate General in Russia.

“More airlines are canceling flights to and from Russia, and many countries have closed their airspace to Russian airlines. US citizens should consider exiting Russia immediately through commercial options still available”, - the US State Department website said in a statement.

Prior to this, the department approved the voluntary departure of embassy employees not involved in key functions.

Earlier today it became known that Russia decided to restrict flights to airlines from 36 countries. This decision was taken as a response to the closure of airspace for Russian aircraft. In particular, the decision to close the skies for Russian aviation was made by the countries of the European Union. The reason for this was the military special operation of Russia to denazify Ukraine, which began on the morning of February 24.