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Travel Summary

• We advise against all travel to Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan because of the security situation in the North Caucasus.  This also includes the regions of Budyonnovsky, Levokumsky, Neftekumsky, Stepnovsky and Kurskoy in east and south Stavropol Krai, which border Dagestan and Chechnya.  See the Terrorism and Local Travel sections of this advice for more details.
  
  
• We advise against all but essential travel to North Ossetia, Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria (including the Elbrus area) as terrorism and kidnapping in these regions remain a serious problem. See the Terrorism and Local Travel sections of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There is a general threat from terrorism.  Attacks cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. Attacks have occurred most frequently in Moscow and in the North Caucasus.
  
  
• There have been confirmed cases of the (A) H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) in Russia. There are no restrictions on travel, although airports in Moscow have stepped up monitoring of passengers and crew arriving from countries with confirmed cases of A (H1N1). Anyone displaying flu-like symptoms may be subject to further examination and quarantine. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6.  The WHO website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html has further details. You should monitor local media reports for any developments and advice. There is a dedicated Swine Flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk.
  
  
• Around 274,000 British nationals visited Russia in 2008 (Source: Russian Federal Agency for Tourism). Most visits are trouble-free. 57 British nationals required consular assistance in Russia in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (8 cases); hospitalisations (28 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (7 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (78 cases). You should be aware of the risks of crime. See the Crime section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There has been an increase in racially motivated attacks: visitors of Asian or Afro-Caribbean descent should take extra care. See the Crime (Racially Motivated Attacks) section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you may wish to undertake.  See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for further details.