This was announced by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

She said travel to the US in particular was "fraught with serious risks".

"The recommendation is due to the growing confrontation in Russian-US relations, which are on the verge of breaking down due to Washington's fault," the spokeswoman claimed.

Zakharova also claims that Russian citizens are at risk of being "persecuted" by Western authorities when they travel.

Russian rhetoric against the US intensified further in November after Washington gave Kiev permission to attack targets in Russia with long-range US weapons. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov responded on November 19 by threatening the United States with hints of updates to Russian nuclear doctrine. | BGNES