Russian President Vladimir PutinFrance Press agency

Posted on 02/23/2022 12:00 | Updated on 02/23/2022 12:05

MOSCOW – Russia has begun withdrawing its diplomatic staff from Ukraine amid rising tensions, the embassy told AFP on Wednesday.

When asked if the withdrawal had begun, embassy spokesman Denis Golinko replied “yes” in a telephone conversation with AFP.

The Russian flag no longer flies from the roof of the diplomatic building, and many people were seen leaving the venue with suitcases.

Golenko said several Western embassies had withdrawn some of their staff and that Moscow had decided to do the same “temporarily”.

Russia announced yesterday its intention to withdraw its diplomats from Ukraine, accusing local authorities of not doing enough to ensure their safety.

The decision comes amid a severe crisis between the two countries, especially after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of separatist Ukrainians from Donetsk and Luhansk, two pro-Russian groups in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine and Western countries accuse Moscow of preparing a military attack on its neighbor since Russia deployed nearly 150,000 troops on the border.

In recent weeks, with tensions rising, several Western countries have evacuated family members of diplomats accredited to Ukraine, or moved their headquarters from Kiev to Lviv, a city in the west of the country considered safer in the event of a Russian attack. .