MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. By adding Russia to its list of countries it recommends Americans refrain from travelling to, the US Department of State cultivates a blind fear of Russia in the United States, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters at a press briefing on Friday.

"In our opinion, this is another unsubstantiated statement, whose primary goal is to trigger another round of anti-Russian hysteria in the US, and to cultivate blind fear of Russia among Americans," she said.

According to Zakharova, there are no grounds whatsoever for the State Department’s assertions that there are serious security risks in Russia, and that the situation in the country could change like a bolt from the blue.

"Can anyone furnish at least one such example with US citizens? We looked through all the archives, but we haven’t uncovered such facts. These recommendations do raise eyebrows," she stressed.