Almost 150 Irish citizens in Ukraine registered with embassy

The number of citizens registered with the Irish Embassy in Ukraine has increased to 145, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said.

Officials on Saturday advised Irish citizens in Ukraine to leave immediately by commercial means, as diplomatic efforts continued to try to avert a war in eastern Europe, amid growing fears of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement on Monday, the department said: “Since the travel advice for Ukraine was upgraded, the number of Irish citizens registered with our embassy in Kyiv has, as expected, been increasing.

“The number of Irish citizens registered with the embassy currently stands at 145 and this number may rise further over the coming days.

“The Embassy of Ireland in Kyiv is in ongoing contact with all registered Irish citizens and has advised them to leave Ukraine immediately.

“A number of commercial flight options continue to be available and it is also possible to depart the country overland to neighbouring EU states.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said: “We remain in ongoing contact at a senior level with EU partners, as well as the UK and the US, regarding the wider political and security situation in and around Ukraine.

“Ireland supports all efforts aimed at defusing the current tensions and at finding a diplomatic pathway forward. Ireland is committed to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“It is urgent that Russia de-escalate, abide by international law and engage constructively in dialogue.”

The department confirmed that the embassy in Kyiv will remain open with a small number of essential staff.

The statement said the department is “in direct contact with all of those scheduled to travel to Ukraine for surrogacy purposes”.