A warning from the U.S. embassy in Russia that “extremists” are planning an imminent attack on large gatherings in Moscow has sparked backlash in the country.
“U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours,” the warning on the embassy website said on Thursday, urging Americans to avoid crowds, including concerts, monitor local media updates, and to be aware of their surroundings.
A man walks past huge Z and V letters – tactical insignias of Russian troops in Ukraine, placed in front of the US Embassy in central Moscow on November 30, 2023. The embassy has warned…
A man walks past huge Z and V letters – tactical insignias of Russian troops in Ukraine, placed in front of the US Embassy in central Moscow on November 30, 2023. The embassy has warned that “extremists” are planning an imminent attack on large gatherings in Moscow.
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ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images
The embassy has routinely encouraged all U.S. citizens to leave Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of the neighboring country in February 2022.
The U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office also updated its page on foreign travel advice to Russia to include the warning from the U.S. embassy in Russia on Thursday. “FCDO advises against all travel to Russia,” it said.
While there was no immediate comment from the Kremlin on the warning, others, including Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the Russian state-controlled media organization RT, took to social media to spread conspiracy theories about the warning.
“The U.S. and British embassies warned of the threat of terrorist attacks on March 8 in Moscow. In a coordinated manner,” said Simonyan, according to the Telegram channel of independent Russian journalism project ASTRA.
“[U.S. citizens] are asked to avoid large gatherings for 48 hours…If you have specific information, it must be passed on through the intelligence services. I hope you did. And if not, then this is complicity,” said Simonyan, an ally of Putin and a top Kremlin propagandist.
Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and military bloggers also responded to the warning negatively, implying that any attacks in Russia would be the fault of the U.S. or the U.K.
“The USA and Britain have even stopped hiding that they are behind the terrorist attacks in Russia,” Telegram channel RIA Katyusha wrote.
“The U.S. Embassy stated that terrorist attacks are possible in Moscow in the next two days; a similar warning was also issued by the British Foreign Office,” wrote Russian reporter and VGTRK journalist Andrey Rudenko on his Telegram channel.
“We understand perfectly well who could be the mastermind of terrorist attacks. And from these b****** a warning about this looks like blackmail or a banal threat.”
Pro-Kremlin channel Politjoystic alluded to International Women’s Day, saying: “Instead of congratulating their women (if they still have them in Moscow), the U.S. Embassy warned of terrorist attacks in the Russian capital.
“Oh well. I don’t ask where the information comes from. And so it’s clear—whoever organizes it knows,” the channel added.
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