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Japan discourages citizens from travel to Russia

Tokyo, March 7 (EFE).- Japan raised its travel warning level to all of Russia and discouraged its citizens from traveling there regardless of the reason.

The Foreign Ministry has raised the alert to level 3 for Russia, the second most severe on its four-level scale (only below the one that urges its nationals to evacuate a territory), Government Spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno announced Monday.

It comes in view of sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which has affected the operations of airlines, including Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA), and could make it difficult to leave the country.

“After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many are taking measures such as adopting sanctions or suspending flights to Russia,” Matsuno said when asked about the decision at a press conference, noting that “the situation is changing rapidly.”

“The sanctions are affecting the daily lives of citizens (in Russia) and the tension could increase, which is why we have raised the security alert to level 3 throughout the Russian territory and we are urging the Japanese to consider abandoning the country on commercial flights while they remain available,” he added.

Japanese authorities last week raised the alert to the highest level in Russia’s border areas with Ukraine, as well as in the regions bordering the country with Belarus, where Japan also discouraged travel.

As of Sunday, some 2,400 Japanese were registered as residents of Russia, according to figures provided by Matsuno.

As for Japanese citizens in Ukraine, about 90 Japanese nationals are still in the territory. EFE

mra-yk/lds

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