The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has already begun warning Americans about the potential perils of attending large public gatherings for Russia's ''Victory Day'' celebration, honoring the Soviet Union's World War II victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
''Annual Victory Day celebrations, including the main parade in Red Square, will take place in Moscow through May 9. Local authorities will restrict movement in event areas to facilitate rehearsals for the event,'' the embassy said Friday in a security alert.
The notice continued: ''In the past, there have been heightened police presence surrounding these events. Given the ongoing tensions, U.S. citizens should avoid large public gatherings. Smaller Victory Day events are expected throughout Russia. The embassy may not always be aware of the exact time and place of these events in advance.''
The Russia-Ukraine war has been an ongoing event since Russia invaded on Feb. 24.
There were earlier reports, however, of Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring a win for Russia this weekend, as a means of seamlessly tying it to Victory Day from the 1940s.
The Kremlin, though, reportedly dismissed such a notion.
The U.S. Embassy alert didn't articulate any specific threats related to U.S. citizens who are in Moscow.
The Biden administration has publicly pledged its support for Ukraine in its war effort, while also levying sanctions against Russia for instigating the war. But that could be construed as an abstract governmental dispute.
The alert also didn't cover any potential acts of terror near Moscow's Red Square.
In February, at the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow similarly warned Americans of potential ''threat attacks'' in urban areas, once again advising against visiting crowded places.
''According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centers, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas, including Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine,'' the embassy alerted back in February.
The security alert advises Americans to ''carry proper identification, including a U.S. passport with a current Russian visa,'' to ''stay alert in locations frequented by tourists/Westerners,'' and to ''have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.''
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.