Russians are urged to assess risks before traveling to unfriendly states.

      April 29, 2026 17:35 Society The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly recommends that citizens of the country carefully assess risks before traveling abroad in light of recent events related to scientist Alexander Butyagin. This was stated by the official representative of the ministry, Maria Zakharova, at a briefing, reports 360.ru. "We urge Russian citizens to carefully study the recommendations of the Russian Foreign Ministry when planning their stay abroad... We find it necessary to remind about the advisability of assessing risks, avoiding regions with potentially high levels of tension," she noted. In early December 2025, the famous Russian scientist Alexander Butyagin was detained in Poland at the request of Ukraine. He was accused of conducting illegal archaeological excavations in Crimea. Notably, the detention occurred during a lecture tour in Europe: the scientist was invited to give a course on the topic "The Last Day of Pompeii." On December 1, Butyagin spoke in Prague, and on December 2, in Amsterdam. His performance in Warsaw was scheduled for December 4. In March of this year, a Warsaw court ruled that Butyagin's extradition was lawful. The defense filed an appeal, but it was not considered. In Ukraine, Butyagin could have faced up to 10 years in prison. Last Tuesday, the Russian was released from a Polish prison as part of a prisoner exchange between Poland and Belarus. As previously reported, as a result of another prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, a serviceman from the Volodarsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region returned to Russia. The NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+