59
Life in the most sanctioned country in the world
(www.youtube.com)
I've traveled to/from Russia a few times since 2022 and this is accurate. A few things I can add:
- I think UnionPay is increasingly accepted for card payments in more shops, so possibly China could be another "friendly" country to open a bank. UnionPay cards can be applied for in places like the US, but I think UnionPay cards issued by the US don't work in Russia.
- She listed Turkey, Dubai (UAE), and Georgia as layovers to enter Russia. Another way which is used by Europeans is to cross by bus through Narva, Estonia. But this recently became more complicated because the Narva crossing is over a bridge which is now under construction. Now, you must cross the border bridge by foot and transfer to a different bus after passing border control. Unfortunately, Estonia does not allow exporting euros to Russia more than what is needed to reach the destination. So you must take some non-euro cash to fund your trip.
- Turkish Airlines is recently making it more difficult to travel to Central/South America if you have a Russian passport, by preventing Russians from boarding even if their documentation is all correct (visa, return ticket, etc). TA blames this on Mexico and Mexico says they always reserve the right to decide who enters the country. So I sense there is pressure being applied to these countries under the guise of preventing illegal immigration to the US, but in reality as a form of secondary sanctions against Russia.
