canada russia travel

Canada urges citizens to avoid all travel to Russia after new censorship law

Canada on Saturday strengthened its travel advisory for Russia and is now urging Canadians to avoid all travel to the country after Russia's new censorship law was enacted.

Canadians who are still in Russia are being asked to leave as soon as possible while commercial flights are still available. The Canadian government notes that availability of flights "is becoming extremely limited" as airlines around the world cease flights to the country and Russian airlines face sanctions from western governments.

"Several countries, including Canada, have restricted financial transactions and air connections with Russia. Russia has retaliated with similar measures. These sanctions and the Russian retaliation may have an important impact on the availability and the provision of essential service," the Canadian government said on its travel advisory website.

• WATCH: One million refugees in one week
• Latest updates from Ukraine
• How could the war in Ukraine end?

Canadians who decide to remain in Russia are being warned that they may be affected by shortages of essential goods and unable to withdraw money from banks. The federal government also says that Canadians in Russia could be stuck in the country for longer than expected and "should not depend on the Government of Canada to help you leave the country."

Previously, Canada warned against non-essential travel to Russia after its war with Ukraine first broke out. But on Friday, the Russian parliament voted to approve a new law that would criminalize people for spreading news reports of the war that Russia considers "fake."

Those who violate the new law could face up to 15 years in prison. As a result, many western media outlets have announced that they would be pulling their journalists out of the country and temporarily suspending their Russia bureaus.

Given the new law, Canada is asking citizens in Russia to abstain from talking about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sharing information about the war online or participating in protests and large gatherings.

Similarly, the U.S. on Saturday has also issued a "Do Not Travel" advisory for Russia, asking Americans currently in Russia to leave immediately.

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Canada issues travel advisory for Russia amidst apparent military coup

Latest Videos

It's been more than 16 months since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and now an apparent military coup is destabilizing the region further.

On Saturday, June 24, the Canadian Government updated its travel advice for Russia amidst military tensions in the Rostov region and the threat of further unrest across the country.

The official advice from the Canadian government is to avoid all travel to Russia.

"Further security restrictions, including limitations on movement have been put in place in some regions, including in Moscow," reads the travel advisory.

"Flight availability, already reduced following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, continues to be subject to unpredictable and significant limitations," the advisory continues. "If you are in Russia, you should leave while commercial means are still available."

Our travel advice for #Russia has been updated due to reports of military tensions in the #Rostov region. There is a risk of further unrest across the country. More info: https://t.co/CjOtsj3oeV pic.twitter.com/WMbDGqULzL — Travel.gc.ca (@TravelGoC) June 24, 2023

Canadians who are in the Rostov region are advised to shelter in place, avoid public gatherings, monitor media for information on the situation, and follow the instructions of local authorities.

What's happening in Russia?

Putin has accused a mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin of treason and starting an armed rebellion as his private army, the Wagner Group, advances toward Moscow. The government is in a state of emergency and maintains a significant military presence in Rostov Oblast.

Canadians in the region are urged to "exercise extreme vigilance…as armed clashes and violence pose serious threats to your safety," says the Canadian government.

The G7 foreign ministers held a call this morning to discuss the overnight developments in Russia. We continue to closely monitor the situation. If you are a Canadian national in Russia, please observe our travel advisory and safety instructions. — Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) June 24, 2023

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly shared that G7 foreign ministers had a call to discuss the developments in Russia.

I have been briefed on the events unfolding in Russia. The Incident Response Group will meet today to discuss the latest developments. We’re in contact with our allies and will continue to monitor the situation closely. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 24, 2023

Canada is closely monitoring the situation, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and discussions are ongoing.

Alexander Smagin

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Canada imposes additional sanctions to exert further pressure on Russian regime

From: Global Affairs Canada

News release

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing egregious and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.

May 31, 2022 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions under the  Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations  in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing egregious and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.

These new measures also impose restrictions on 22 individuals and 4 entities. Among the individuals and entities listed are senior officials of Russian financial institutions and their family members, as well as key financial institutions and banks.

The measures announced today apply further pressure on the Russian leadership to end its senseless war, which has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives, jeopardized the food security of millions and caused untold pain and suffering. Canada continues to call for a diplomatic solution.

These measures are the latest example of Canada’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine and its people. The measures also demonstrate that Canada is a leader in the broad international effort to hold the Russian leadership accountable and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. Canada will continue to explore new ways to exert pressure on the Russian regime.

“For every action taken by President Putin to undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Canada will not hesitate to take appropriate countermeasures. Canada will relentlessly pursue accountability for the Russian regime’s unjustifiable acts. We stand with Ukraine and its people.” - Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick facts

Since Russia’s illegal occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,500 individuals and entities. Many of these sanctions have been undertaken in coordination with Canada’s allies and partners. Canada’s latest sanctions, like its previous ones, impose asset freezes and prohibitions on listed individuals and entities.

Since Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,050 individuals and entities from and in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

In March 2022, Canada referred the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC), in concert with other ICC member states, in light of the numerous allegations of serious international crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Associated links

• Sanctions: Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Canadian sanctions related to Russia
• Canadian sanctions related to Ukraine
• Canadian sanctions related to Belarus
• Canada provides funding to International Criminal Court to strengthen accountability for conflict-related sexual violence

Adrien Blanchard Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs [email protected]

Media Relations Office Global Affairs Canada [email protected] Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaFP Like us on Facebook: Canada’s foreign policy - Global Affairs Canada

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Update April 12, 2024

Information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

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Russia Travel Advisory

Travel advisory september 5, 2023, russia - level 4: do not travel.

Updated to remove COVID-specific information and the kidnapping risk indicator as well as updates to security risks.

Do not travel to Russia due to the unpredictable consequences of the  unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces , the potential for  harassment and the singling out of U.S. citizens for detention by Russian government security officials , the  arbitrary enforcement of local law ,  limited flights into and out of Russia , the  Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia , and the possibility of  terrorism .  U.S. citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately.  Exercise increased caution due to  the risk of wrongful detentions.

The U.S. government’s ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Russia is severely limited, particularly in areas far from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, due to Russian government limitations on travel for embassy personnel and staffing, and the ongoing suspension of operations, including consular services, at U.S. consulates.

There have been numerous reports of drone attacks, explosions, and fires in areas in Western and Southern Russia, particularly near the Russian border with Ukraine, as well as in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the event of an emergency, U.S. citizens should follow instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately.

In September 2022, the Russian government mobilized citizens to the armed forces in support of its invasion of Ukraine. Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’ U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, subject them to mobilization, prevent their departure from Russia, and/or conscript them. 

U.S. citizens should note that U.S. credit and debit cards no longer work in Russia, and options to electronically transfer funds from the United States are extremely limited due to sanctions imposed on Russian banks. There are reports of cash shortages within Russia.

Commercial flight options are extremely limited and are often unavailable on short notice. If you wish to depart Russia, you should make independent arrangements as soon as possible. The U.S. Embassy has severe limitations on its ability to assist U.S. citizens to depart the country and transportation options may suddenly become even more limited. Click  here  for Information for U.S. Citizens Seeking to Depart Russia.

U.S. Embassy personnel are generally not permitted to travel on Russian air carriers due to safety concerns.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded the air safety rating for Russia from Category 1 to Category 2 on April 21, 2022, due to Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport noncompliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) prohibiting U.S. aviation operations into, out of, within, or over those areas of the Moscow Flight Information Region (FIR), the Samara FIR (UWWW) and the Rostov-na-Donu (URRV) FIR within 160NM of the boundaries of the Dnipro (UKDV) Flight Information Regions. For more information, U.S. citizens should consult the  Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions, and Notices .

The right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are not consistently protected in Russia. U.S. citizens should avoid all political or social protests and not photograph security personnel at these events. Russian authorities have arrested U.S. citizens who have participated in demonstrations and there are numerous reports Russian nationals have been detained for social media activity. 

Country Summary:

U.S. citizens, including former and current U.S. government and military personnel and private citizens engaged in business who are visiting or residing in Russia, have been interrogated without cause and threatened by Russian officials, and may become victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion. 

Russian security services may fail to notify the U.S. Embassy of the detention of a U.S. citizen and unreasonably delay U.S. consular assistance. Russian security services are increasing the arbitrary enforcement of local laws to target foreign and international organizations they consider “undesirable.”

Russian security services have arrested U.S. citizens on spurious charges, singled out U.S. citizens in Russia for detention and harassment, denied them fair and transparent treatment, and convicted them in secret trials or without presenting credible evidence. Furthermore, Russian authorities arbitrarily enforce local laws against U.S. citizen religious workers and have opened questionable criminal investigations against U.S. citizens engaged in religious activity. U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Russia to perform work for or volunteer with non-governmental organizations or religious organizations.

There have been multiple security incidents in southwestern Russia related to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government declared martial law in Russia’s regions bordering Ukraine (Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Rostov, Krasnodar) on October 20, 2022. The martial law regime allows the rapid introduction of restrictive measures such as curfew, seizure of private property, restriction of entry/exit and freedom of movement, internment of foreigners, forced relocation of local residents, and restrictions on public gatherings. U.S. citizens should avoid all travel to these areas.

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: 'Huge fire breaks out' in port city after missile strike; Russia 'shifting battlefield focus'

Aerial images of the eastern town of Chasiv Yar have revealed the effects of Russian bombardment. A leading thinktank has suggested Moscow's battlefield focus may have shifted towards the town. Listen to a Daily podcast on whether the UK should send troops to Ukraine as you scroll.

Wednesday 1 May 2024 21:29, UK

• Large fire breaks out in Odesa after missile strike  
• Drone footage reveals ghost town left after Russian bombardment  
• The signs Moscow's battlefield focus could be shifting
• Your questions answered: Why can't Ukraine destroy key Crimean bridge?
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Regional governor Oleg Kiper reports that an air alarm is sounding in Odesa after this evening's missile strike.

He urged residents in the city and wider region to stay safe in a post to Telegram .

Nova Poshta, a Ukrainian postal and courier company, has confirmed its warehouse has been struck in Odesa.

The firm said none of its employees were injured or dead.

It added that customers would be compensated for parcels destroyed in the strike, which local officials say was carried out by Russia.

There are at least 13 victims as a result of a reported Russian missile strike on Odesa this evening, according to regional governor Oleg Kiper.

He did not specify if the victims had been killed or were injured.

In a Telegram post, Mr Kiper reported a "powerful fire at the point of impact".

Ballistic missiles were used to target the city, he said.

A large fire has erupted in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa after a missile strike, according to local media reports.

Unverified images circulating on social media show flames at the site of the reported strike and large plumes of smoke billowing towards the sky.

It comes after a Russian attack on an educational institution in the city on Monday that killed at least five people and injured 32 others.

Three people were killed in a separate missile attack in Odesa overnight last night.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has formally dismissed the head of the Ukrainian security service's cybersecurity department after a media probe into his finances.

A decree issued on on his presidential website today shows Illia Vitiuk has been officially removed from the post.

Mr Vitiuk had already been suspended after an investigation by a journalist at independent outlet Slidstvo.info which raised questions over the property holdings of his wife and the source of the couples' wealth.

The journalist was later targeted by enlistment officers in a "revenge" move, the outlet reported.

Washington has accused Moscow of violating an international treaty by using a First World War-era chemical weapon in Ukraine.

The state department said Russia has deployed the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and used riot control agents "as a method of warfare".

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, chloropicrin is an irritant "with characteristics of a tear gas".

It was used by Germany against allied troops during the First World War but has since been banned for military use.

"The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian forces' desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield," the state department said in a statement. 

The Russian embassy didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

In Ukraine's partially occupied Donetsk region, troops continue to fight back against Russian forces on the frontline.

Moscow is heavily focusing on the eastern region, where it claims to have captured several towns and villages.

In these pictures, Ukrainian soldiers fire a howitzer at Russian positions.

The US has imposed new sanctions on three people connected to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Mr Navalny died at a remote Arctic prison in February in unknown circumstances.

Russian authorities say he died of natural causes while his supporters believe he was killed. Western leaders quickly held Vladimir Putin responsible - but a US intelligence report earlier this week found the Russian president likely didn't directly order Mr Navalny's death.

The three individuals are among hundreds of people and entities targeted in Washington's new round of Russia-related sanctions.

A notice on the treasury's website said companies connected to Russia's Arctic liquefied natural gas 2 project were among those hit with sanctions.

Restrictions have also been slapped on Russian air carrier Pobeda, a subsidiary of the country's largest airline Aeroflot.

Ukrainian ground troops have been handed 20 new Toyota pickup trucks through funds allocated to one of the military's brigades.

Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said 60 million hryvnias (£1.2m) has been set aside by the capital for the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ground Forces.

The trucks were purchased for half of this amount, he said.

Thanking Kyiv for the donation, Major Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of the third brigade, said the vehicles were "extremely important" as they are used for evacuating soldiers, deliveries and some logistics tasks.

Three children have been "rescued" from Russian-occupied territory in Kherson, the Ukrainian regional governor has said.

Oleksandr Prokudin said a girl aged 11, and two boys, nine and 11, were receiving psychological help and medical care after the "rescue mission".

The governor said 66 children from Kherson had been returned to territory controlled by Ukraine since the start of the war. 

Kherson is one of Ukraine's southernmost regions.

It lends its name to the region's capital city in the northwest, which was the first major city to fall to the Russians after they invaded in 2022.

At least 19,500 children have been confirmed as abducted by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to the Children of War database.

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Airbus wins reprieve from Canadian sanctions on Russian titanium

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Ukraine's ambassador slams Canada for Airbus sanctions waiver on critical Russian mineral

European aerospace giant airbus granted waiver on the use of russian titanium in aircraft parts.

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Canada's decision to grant European defence contractor Airbus a sanctions waiver on the use of Russian titanium in its equipment has drawn a sharp, emotional response from Ukraine's ambassador.

Appearing on CBC's Power & Politics , Yuliya Kovaliv held up a photo of the aftermath of a Russian Kalibr missile strike two years ago where a child was killed, which shows emergency crews in the background of an overturned stroller, saying the critical mineral is used in the manufacturing of not only the supersonic rocket but other major warplanes.

Allowing western companies to continue to use Russian titanium is only feeding the Kremlin's war machine, she said.

"It's very disturbing," Kovaliv said Wednesday, adding she had reached out to Global Affairs Canada for an explanation but had not yet received one. 

U.S. military aid package 'very important step': Ukrainian ambassador to Canada

Reuters first reported that Canada had granted the waiver and quoted the company as saying, "Airbus is aware of the Canadian government imposing sanctions on [the Russian company VSMPO-AVISMA] and has obtained the necessary authorization to secure Airbus operations in compliance with the applicable sanctions."

Airbus operates manufacturing facilities in Ontario and Quebec.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canadian jobs were the main concern when it came to granting the waiver.

"We will always make sure to put maximum pressure on the Russian regime and meanwhile protect our jobs here at home. We can do that together," she said.

The sanctions on Russian titanium, which because of its light weight and strength is used in the manufacturing of aircraft engines, were introduced in February. Canada was the first western nation to target Moscow's export of the critical mineral.

As much as $13 billion US was added to Moscow's war chest by the export of minerals, such as titanium.

That's more than the combined military and economic support Canada has given to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began two years ago, Kovaliv said.

Russia's VSMPO-AVISMA, based in Verkhnyaya Salda, is the world's largest producer of titanium. 

Other nations, such as China, Kazakhstan and Japan, have large production capacity and potential. Canada also has an abundance of the critical mineral.

Not long after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Airbus rival Boeing swore off Russian titanium and cancelled a long-standing contract with the Russian giant.

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Almost a year and a half ago, Airbus pledged to do the same.

"We are in the process of decoupling from Russia when it comes to titanium. It will be a matter of months not years," Michael Schoellhorn, chief executive Airbus Defence & Space, said in December 2022.

Airbus had 2 years to find new supplier

Kovaliv said two years is "totally enough time" for the company to have found alternate sources of the strategic mineral.

Ukraine initially applauded Canada's decision to impose penalties.

"This is the huge Russian military support of the conglomerate which Ukraine was advocating for months and years that they need to be sanctioned," she said.

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• U.S. secretly sent long-range missiles to Ukraine for its fight with Russia

Other countries have been careful not to tread into this area because titanium is used in so many defence products, and it is woven throughout the supply chains globally. 

Analysts have suggested the vast majority of Canadian companies have yet to fully understand the ramifications of this set of sanctions. 

A FAQ answer published by Global Affairs Canada a few weeks ago said the use of third party materials would trigger the sanctions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Senior reporter, defence and security

Murray Brewster is senior defence writer for CBC News, based in Ottawa. He has covered the Canadian military and foreign policy from Parliament Hill for over a decade. Among other assignments, he spent a total of 15 months on the ground covering the Afghan war for The Canadian Press. Prior to that, he covered defence issues and politics for CP in Nova Scotia for 11 years and was bureau chief for Standard Broadcast News in Ottawa.

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