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From: keith
Date: 18 Aug 2004
Time: 06:09:24
The British foreign office (www.fco.gov.uk) are warning against travel to the elbrus area, Is this something to be concerned about? Local Travel We strongly advise against travel to Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and North Ossetia, Karachai-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria (including the Elbrus area) and to eastern and southern parts of Stavropol Krai, particularly where it borders Chechnya and North Ossetia, due to the security situation. As well as the ongoing conflict in Chechnya, terrorist/criminal bombings have occurred throughout this region, including one on 3 February 2004 in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, which killed 2 people and injured 10. On 21 June 2004 Chechen separatist rebels staged a major military incursion into the city of Nazran in Ingushetia, causing many casualties. Further attacks or bombings are possible. Kidnapping in the region is common and Westerners are particularly vulnerable: four Western hostages including three Britons were murdered in Chechnya in December 1998 and a Dutch aid worker was kidnapped in Dagestan in August 2002 (released in April 2004). If you travel to these parts of Russia despite this advice you are taking a serious risk, and must accept that the ability of the FCO and the British Embassy in Moscow to help in the case of an emergency is severely limited.