The Foreign Office in the UK has advised against all travel to Russia amid the crisis in Ukraine.
In an update, the Foreign Office said that due to a “lack of available flight options" and the "increased volatility in the Russian economy”, it would be advising Brits against travelling to Russia.
The Foreign Office website says: “The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to the whole of Russia due to the lack of available flight options to return to the UK, and the increased volatility in the Russian economy.”
It comes as transport secretary Grant Shapps asked all UK ports to deny access to Russian flagged, registered or operated vessels.
With a Russian-owned ship due to dock in Orkney on Tuesday, the UK government had been urged to ban the country’s vessels in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Shapps has now written to all UK ports telling them not to provide access to any ship believed to be registered in Russia, flying the Russian flag or owned, controlled, chartered or operated by “any person connected with Russia”.
He added that the UK government will try to pass legislation prohibiting their arrival.
Britain has now announced new sanctions against Russian banks to heap pressure on Vladimir Putin.
Boris Johnson said Mr Putin had made a “colossal mistake” in invading Ukraine, and praised the country for its fierce resistance and proving Moscow wrong to think tanks would be “garlanded with roses”.
Liz Truss said all Russian banks would be hit with a full asset freeze within days as she announced new powers to limit them from clearing payments in sterling, which will initially target the nation’s largest bank, Sberbank.
The Foreign Secretary said the war could last “months and years” as she prepared the British public for “some economic hardship” as a result of the sanctions, but vowed to Ukraine that the UK would “suffer economic sacrifices to support you, however long it takes”.
Meanwhile, home secretary Priti Patel ruled out a visa waiver for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict, citing fears that Moscow’s troops and extremists could come to the UK.
