THE JAMAICAN government has urged its citizens living in Russia to leave immediately.

Russia and Ukraine are currently engulfed in a deadly war with heavy bombing and explosions heard in the region daily.

The Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a security alert and is advising Jamaicans in Russia to leave and until the war is over.

According to the press release by the government of Jamaica, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is strongly recommending that Jamaicans located in Russia leave that country, as the situation is becoming increasingly difficult as a consequence of various sanctions imposed in response to its military actions in Ukraine”.

Kamina Johnson Smith, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, said: “Flights to and from Russia have already been restricted as several countries close airspace to Russian flights.

“Visa and MasterCard have suspended all transactions with Russia, and international financial transfers to and from Russia have also been suspended.”

Ms Johnson Smith said: “This should all be seen as a clear indication of the worsening situation in Russia, and we, therefore, advise Jamaicans there to leave as soon as practicable.”

Ms Johnson Smith announced that her department has been in close contact with eighteen Jamaican students in Russia and said three of them are planning to leave in the coming days. 

The Foreign Affairs Minister further highlighted that several countries have already instructed their citizens to leave, including France, United States and the United Kingdom. 

The new warning comes as twenty Jamaican students finally arrived back in the Caribbean last week after fleeing war-torn Ukraine, after Russia launched a series of deadly military action on February 24, 2022.