The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan has issued a cautionary advisory urging citizens to refrain from visiting Russia unless absolutely necessary, as reported by Kloop with reference to Bakit Kadyrov, the head of the consular department of the ministry.

As per to Kadyrov, heightened border crossing checks by the Russian authorities have been observed recently, prompting the ministry to advise citizens to plan their trips to Russia carefully. Kadyrov emphasized the importance of avoiding non-essential travel to Russia during this period of increased security measures, as all diasporas have been warned about the situation.

“At the moment, Russia is fighting against terrorism. Checks at the exit and entry of the country have been strengthened. Therefore, the embassy recommends planning your entry to Russia in advance and refraining from visiting if not necessary, as all diasporas have warned. We do not know how long the anti-terrorist measures will last. Some citizens are on the “black list” or will not be allowed to enter the country if they have committed a crime,” Kadyrov stated. 

The advisory comes amidst reports of migrants from Kyrgyzstan encountering difficulties upon arrival in Moscow, with some getting stuck at Sheremetyevo airport. These individuals reportedly had their documents confiscated and were detained in a separate area.

In response to this situation, the Kyrgyz embassy clarified that the individuals were barred from entering Russia due to previous violations of the country’s migration legislation. The embassy stated that arrangements would be made to repatriate the affected individuals to Kyrgyzstan on the next available flight.