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Families of US embassy workers in Ukraine said told to start evacuating soon

22 January 2022 22:55 (UTC +04:00)

The US State Department has instructed the families of diplomats at the American embassy in Ukraine to begin leaving the country in the coming days amid concerns of a possible Russian attack, according to a report Saturday, APA reports quoting TimesofIsrael.

Citing unnamed US officials, Fox News said relatives of embassy personnel were told to start evacuating as early as Monday.

A State Department spokesperson said the United States is not “at this time” organizing an evacuation of American citizens from Ukraine despite rising fears of an unspecified military action by Russia.

An official also said that next week the State Department was expected to urge Americans to start departing Ukraine on commercial flights “while those are still available.”

“Currently, commercial flights are available to support departures.”

The State Department had already advised US citizens not to travel to Ukraine due to concerns about COVID-19. A department website also urges them “to reconsider travel due to increased threats from Russia.”