OREANDA-NEWS. The US Department of State updated a travel advisory on its Internet site and placed Russia on the list of 35 countries, where, as it maintains, Americans may face the risk of being kidnapped.

Beside Russia, the new list includes Afghanistan, Angola, Venezuela, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Colombia, Mexico, Nigeria, Syria, Turkey, the Philippines, Uganda, Ethiopia and other countries. The list also mentions the “Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine”.

In general, according to the degree of danger for American citizens, Russia was assigned to the second of four categories (the first is most dangerous). Among the threats that US citizens should not forget are terrorism, civil unrest, mistreatment, extortion, arbitrary interrogations or detentions at the hands of Russian officials.

The North Caucasus and the Crimea (while the peninsula is considered to be a Ukrainian territory) referred to the highest category of danger: it is recommended to Americans not to travel there at all.

The special warning touches upon gangster groups in the North Caucasus, which are considered to be particularly dangerous. The US Department of State reported that they have repeatedly kidnapped American citizens and people from other foreign countries for getting a ransom.

Moreover, the US Department of State forewarned of the persecution of American religious workers and persons engaged in religious activity in Russian Federation.