Photo: facebook.com/RusEmbassyUkraine
RIA “News” agency, citing sources, reports that diplomats and employees of the consulates of the Russian Federation in Ukraine have begun to leave the country.
The night before, the British authorities announced the recall of their diplomats. Israel also reported that they are beginning to evacuate family members of diplomats working in Kiev.
Also on Friday, several countries, including the United States, Japan, Norway, Latvia, declared it undesirable for their citizens to visit Ukraine in the near future.
The day before, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that, in accordance with the Vienna Document, it gives Russia 48 hours to provide detailed explanations of its “military activities” on the border. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed receipt of the request from Ukraine through OSCE channels and said that a response will be given in the near future. At the same time, the diplomats noted that they do not consider Kiev’s request justified, since the activities of the Russian Armed Forces are not unusual and do not give grounds for launching a “mechanism for reducing military danger” according to the 2011 document.