U.S. Embassy in Russia advised Americans to leave the country due to reports of pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast

According to ASTRA, the U.S. Embassy in Russia urged U.S. citizens not to travel to the Russian Federation and to leave the country immediately if they are already on its territory. Diplomats linked the warning to reports of the spread of pneumonic plague in Irkutsk Oblast and the introduction of quarantine there after a person's death.

The warning also cites risks of unlawful detentions and safety concerns. Those who traveled to the area of a possible outbreak are advised to monitor their health for 14 days.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to help Russia deal with the spread of plague in the Shelekhovsky District of Irkutsk Oblast. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response that “it is always good when mutual assistance is offered”, and Elena Sofina, deputy head of the Shelekhovsky District of Irkutsk Oblast, replied: “we'll handle it ourselves”.

After that, Russia's consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said that the situation with measles had worsened in the United States. It reported four fatal cases in Pennsylvania, a state of emergency in New York State, and the first fatal case of plague in New Mexico in 2026.

TASS, citing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported that the number of confirmed measles cases in the United States in 2026 had reached 3,887. According to the Russian state agency, this is the highest figure since 1991.