Russian Diplomats Began To Leave Ukraine

What's going on?

Employees of the Russian diplomatic mission are leaving Ukraine, an informed source told RIA Novosti.

"According to the statements of Ukrainian citizens, Russian diplomats and consular officers in Ukraine have begun to leave for Russia. This, in particular, is evidenced by the difficulties that have arisen when making an appointment at the consulates and the embassy," he said.

"By the way, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hinted at the possibility of such a scenario during a press conference following talks with British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss," he recalled.

The threat of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Russia has been pulling troops to the Ukrainian borders since the end of October 2021. According to Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, as of February 7, there are 140,000 military personnel along the borders of Ukraine from Russia, Belarus and Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine (ORDLO).

The U.S. State Department believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin may decide to invade Ukraine before mid-February. According to Western media, Russia has completed "final preparations for the invasion". At the same time, National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said that the Ukrainian authorities do not see a direct threat of Russian invasion. According to him, a full-scale invasion is physically impossible and there is no reason to panic.

The situation along the eastern Ukrainian border is causing concern among U.S. and European officials. According to the U.S. President Joe Biden, the White House is preparing a set of tough measures to prevent a new Russian invasion of Ukraine.