The U.S. is urging Americans to leave Russia 'immediately' due to security risks

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The U.S. Embassy in Moscow. / AFP via Getty Images

MOSCOW — The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is urging Americans to leave Russia "immediately" due to security risks amid the war in Ukraine.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow warned of the "unpredictable consequences" of the war in Ukraine, and said dual U.S.-Russian citizens in particular risked being forcibly conscripted into Russia's armed forces.

The embassy also cautioned that Americans in general faced potential harassment or wrongful detention by Russia's security services.

The Kremlin shrugged off calls for Americans to leave the country as "not new."

Next week will mark one year since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

This story originally appeared in NPR's Newscast.

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