Russia to traveling citizens: Beware of US 'hunt'

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning to its citizens Thursday that U.S. intelligence is on the "hunt" for Russians abroad.

"Despite our calls to establish cooperation between the competent authorities of Russia and the United States [...], the US intelligence services continue to actually 'hunt' for Russians around the world," the statement said. "[W]e strongly recommend that Russian citizens, when planning their trips abroad, carefully weigh all the risks, especially if there are grounds for assuming claims from the American law enforcement agencies."

In the statement, the agency claimed that, in 2017 alone, more than 10 Russian citizens were arrested and extradited to U.S. territories, where they underwent questioning and direct threats to coerce them to admit to alleged guilt.

The travel warning comes a month after the U.S. State Department issued its own travel warning to citizens wishing to visit Russia, calling on them to "reconsider" due to "terrorism and harassment," specifically advising people not to travel to the north Caucasus, including Chechnya and Mount Elbrus, and Crimea.

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It also comes four days after a U.S. Treasury report listed 114 politicians and 96 oligarchs in connection to Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. A day after the report was released, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said "there will be sanctions that come out of this report."

Ahead of the report's release, the Kremlin accused the U.S. of using its publication to interfere with Russia's own presidential election, which will be held on March 18. At present, President Vladimir Putin stands virtually uncontested in the race, which, if he wins, will lead to his fourth term as the former Soviet nation's top politician.

Last August, President Donald Trump begrudgingly imposed sanctions against Russia in connection to the election interference investigation. At the time, Putin responded by ordering the U.S. to cut back hundreds of its staff in its embassy in Moscow.

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