WASHINGTON, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - The US State Department issued a warning to American citizens on Thursday saying that staying in Russian regions near the border with Ukraine is unsafe.
"The US government currently has no information concerning active armed clashes inside Russia or that there are any threats specific to US citizens. However, all US citizens located in or considering travel to the border region of the Russian Federation ... should be aware that the tensions … have the potential to jeopardize the safety and security of US citizens traveling or living in those regions," the State Department said in a Travel Alert issued Thursday.
"The situation along the border is unpredictable and could change quickly. … Given the on-going volatility of the situation, US citizens are strongly advised against traveling by land from Russia to Ukraine through this region," the State Department added.
In mid-April, Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters in eastern Ukraine. The United States and the European Union have repeatedly accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs and escalating the crisis, but Moscow has repeatedly denied these allegations.
In July, Moscow agreed to international monitoring of its Gukovo and Donetsk checkpoints on the Russian-Ukrainian border to ensure transparency of border traffic between Russia and the self-proclaimed regions in eastern Ukraine. The mandate of this mission was extended for another month on Wednesday.