U.S. urges Americans to consider leaving Russia “immediately”

More airlines have canceled flights in and out of Russia and American citizens in the country should consider leaving "immediately," the U.S. Embassy in Moscow warned in a security alert Sunday.

The big picture: The State Department on Monday said it authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency employees and family members at the U.S. embassy of Moscow.

• The department also suspended operations at the U.S. embassy in Minsk, Belarus.
• The Level 4 travel advisory recommends not traveling to Russia due to "ongoing tension along the border with Ukraine, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens [and] the embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia," among other reasons.

Go deeper: Get the latest with the Ukraine-Russia dashboard