Americans traveling abroad in 2022 face a much different world than they did only a year ago. Though COVID-19 restrictions have largely been lifted, a new set of risks has emerged.

When Russia launched an invasion on neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, decades of diplomatic progress between Washington and Moscow were lost in an instant. Recent escalations from the Kremlin, including the threat of nuclear weapons deployment and a mass troop mobilization, have only deepend geopolitical divisions and tensions, prompting the U.S. State Department to urge U.S. citizens in Russia to leave the country as soon as possible. (Here is a look at 19 wars Russia has lost.) 

The conflict, which is now the largest on the European continent since World War II, has redrawn international political alliances and exposed Americans to serious threats in a growing number of countries. 

24/7 Wall St. reviewed State Department travel advisories to identify the countries the U.S. government does not want you to go to. As of late September 2022, 20 countries have a standing Level 4 travel advisory. Level 4 is the highest level advisory issued by the government, and it comes with an unambiguous “Do Not Travel” warning, directed at American citizens. (Countries are ordered alphabetically.)

For some of the 20 countries on this list, Level 4 travel advisories are a direct result of the conflict in Ukraine. In places like Russia and Belarus, for example, Americans face the threat of harassment and arbitrary detention at the hands of law enforcement and government officials. Abuse of government power also poses a threat in places like Iran and North Korea. (Here is a look at the most corrupt countries in the world.) 

Many other countries on this list, however, have been deemed unsafe for Americans for years. In some African and Middle Eastern nations, threats include terrorism, civil unrest, and crime. In one country on this list, a lack of reliable health care infrastructure has contributed to its Level 4 advisory status, and in another, recent volcanic eruptions pose the biggest risk to travelers.

Click here to see countries US government doesn’t want you to go to.