The US State Department on Monday ordered family members of employees at the US Embassy in Belarus to depart the country and warned American citizens against travel there due to an "unusual and concerning Russian military buildup" along Belarus' border with Ukraine,
CNN reports.
The developments come as US officials warn that Russia could mount a major invasion of Ukraine, including from neighboring Belarus. At a UN Security Council meeting Monday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the US had seen evidence that Moscow intends to mass more than 30,000 troops at the Belarus-Ukraine border by early February and that 5,000 troops were already there.
In an updated travel advisory issued Monday, the State Department said that "due to an increase in unusual and concerning Russian military activity near the border with Ukraine, U.S. citizens located in or considering travel to Belarus should be aware that the situation is unpredictable and there is heightened tension in the region."
"Given the heightened volatility of the situation, U.S. citizens are strongly advised against traveling to Belarus," the advisory said, adding that "the U.S. government's ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Belarus is already severely limited due to Belarusian government limitations on U.S. Embassy staffing."
