08 Mar 2024 | 02:25 PM UTC
Russia: US, UK embassies advise citizens to avoid large gatherings in Moscow through at least March 9 due to possible security threat /update 1
US, UK embassies advise citizens in Moscow, Russia, to avoid large gatherings through at least March 9 due to possible extremist targeting.
The British Embassy in Moscow has reiterated the US Embassy in Moscow's March 7 security alert advising its citizens in the Russian capital to avoid large gatherings through March 9. The advisory states that the embassy is monitoring unspecified reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings, including concerts, in Moscow. Embassy personnel did not point to any specific intelligence as the basis for the alert, nor did they provide any further details concerning possible targets, timing, or types of attack.
Local authorities will probably deploy very tight security near any potential target in Moscow into at least March 9. Localized traffic and business disruptions are likely.
If operating in Moscow, avoid all large gatherings through at least early March 10 out of an abundance of caution. Carry proper travel documents at all times. Strictly heed the instructions of local security personnel. Remain courteous and cooperative if stopped and questioned by law enforcement officers.
On March 7, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reportedly neutralized an Islamic State - Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) cell in Kaluga Oblast just southwest of Moscow; authorities did not indicate how many militants were killed. Authorities reported that the group had been planning to attack a synagogue in Moscow. It is unclear whether this group's planned attack is related to the US embassy warning; however, it is worth noting that while this plot concerned a synagogue, the US embassy warning specifically mentions concerts as potential targets.
