Leave Russia immediately: US advisory to citizens after journo's arrest

The US State Department on Thursday advised all American citizens residing in or traveling in Russia to leave immediately. The advisory comes in the wake of the arrest of an American correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. Russia on Thursday charged 31-year-old Evan Gershkovich with spying. The Russian security forces said it arrested Gershkovich in the Urals industrial city of Yekaterinburg, "suspected of spying in the interests of the American government" by collecting information on "one of the enterprises of Russia's military-industrial complex", which it did not identify. Following Gershkovich's arrest, the White House said the State Department was in direct contact with the Russian government over his detention and urged US citizens residing or travelling in Russia to depart immediately. "We condemn the detention of Mr. Gershkovich in the strongest terms," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "We also condemn the Russian government’s continued targeting and repression of journalists and freedom of the press."