On 26 February 2022, the U.S. Embassy in Minsk issued a Security Alert warning its citizens to immediately evacuate Belarus, which reads in part as follows: “The Department of State Travel Advisory for Belarus advises U.S. citizens not to travel to Belarus and urges U.S. citizens in Belarus to depart immediately.
“Minsk International Airport is operating with international flights to limited destinations, and land borders with Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland are open and operating at normal capacity.
“U.S. citizens should be aware that due to ongoing Russian military hostilities in Ukraine there is heightened tension in the region, the situation is unpredictable, and Minsk airport and Belarusian land border operations could change without significant notice.
“U.S. citizens should avoid public demonstrations as potential harassment targeted specifically at foreigners is possible.
“The U.S. government’s ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Belarus is severely limited due to Belarusian government limitations on U.S. Embassy staffing.”
Analyst Comment: On 14 February the U.S. Department of State had updated its Travel Advisory for Belarus “to recommend U.S. citizens depart the country due to the military buildup in southern Belarus.”
