Russia

Moscow's Airport Is Quiet, But Americans Are Still Having Trouble Leaving Russia

The U.S. Embassy in Russia is advising all Americans to leave the country amid the instability brought on by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine; Yaro Guillen and her husband flew from Moscow to Dubai, from where they will head to Munich

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It's been nearly a week since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and several days since the sanctions that followed.

The U.S. government is now urging Americans to leave Russia if they can, as air travel has been limited.

"The situation is just … it's not good," said Yaro Guillen.

Guillen and her husband spend the last 48 hours looking for the quickest and safest way out of Russia.

"It has been definitely the most challenging part," said Guillen. "We wanted to leave yesterday already, but when we checked, there were no flights available anymore."

Guillen moved to Moscow a few months ago after living in China. The U.S. Embassy in Russia is urging her and all U.S. citizens to leave the country. She said many expats living in Moscow are also packing up their bags.

"Not even a 'We're leaving temporarily,' but a lot of people are leaving for good," Guillen noted. "A lot of people are leaving via land — driving out."

The war in Ukraine has prompted European neighbors to close their airspace to Russia, grounding most Europe-bound flights, with the West imposing an increasing number of sanctions that have begun to make life for people living in Russia there more complicated.

"Do our cards work? Do we have enough money to live here? Can our company still pay us since we work for a foreign company?" wondered Guillen. "There are queues around the corner at banks to get cash out. There's no cash."

The embassy issued a level-4 advisory on Monday, noting the limited availability of flights and risks posed to Americans — including arbitrary detainments.

"Do not travel to Russia due to the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens by Russian government security officials, the embassy's limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, COVID-19 and related entry restrictions, terrorism, limited flights into and out of Russia, and the arbitrary enforcement of local law," the advisory said. "U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available."

Guillen ended up finding a workaround Tuesday, flying from Moscow to Dubai, and from Dubai to Munich, where her in-laws live.

"We are on a 20-hour itinerary via Dubai, but we're leaving," said Guillen.

She described an eerie scene at Russia's second busiest airport — Moscow's Domodedovo — after she found it nearly empty in the morning.

"Just because there's no flights, I expected to see longer queues, but so far, just us," Guillen said in a video recording sent to NBC10 Boston.

With only a few suitcases in hand and a war with no end in sight, Guillen's life is now up in the air.

"We're just not sure when we're going to be able to come back," she said.

Guillen's plans are to stay in Germany for two weeks, but she worries about her visa status and her husband's job — other unintended consequences of the war.

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