Australia is evacuating its embassy in Ukraine amid rising tensions between Moscow and Kyiv.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Sunday announced that all staff at the embassy in Kyiv had been told to leave.
"Given the deteriorating security situation caused by the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine's border, the Government has directed the departure of staff at the Australian Embassy in Kyiv and temporarily suspended operations at our Embassy in Kyiv," she said in a statement.
Payne said operations at the embassy were shuttered and moved to a temporary office in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine. "We continue to advise Australians to leave Ukraine immediately by commercial means. Security conditions could change at short notice," she added.
The minister further explained that Russian military action in Ukraine will severely limit their ability to provide consular assistance to Australians.
This evacuation comes as western concerns are mounting that Russia may carry out an invasion of Ukraine.
In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in preparation for an invasion.
Moscow has denied these accusations, stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders.
Moscow has also said Russia has the right to move troops within its national territory.
( With inputs from ANI )
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