MID decided to “optimize” the staffing of Russian foreign missions on the territory of Ukraine, however, the embassy and consulates will continue to perform their main functions, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
This is how she commented on the information that appeared in the media that Russia has significantly reduced the staff of its embassy in Kiev and consulates general in Lvov, Odessa and Kharkov.
Zakharova recalled that rumors about the alleged “evacuation” of Russian diplomats appeared in a number of Western publications, in particular, in The New York Times a month ago, at a time when “several children of Russian diplomats in Ukraine went to visit their grandparents” during the Christmas holidays.
The purpose of these “stuffings”, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry believes, was to “create an information cover” for the start of the evacuation by the United States, Great Britain, Australia and other countries of diplomats and their families from their embassies in Ukraine.
“We conclude that our American and British colleagues, apparently, are aware of some military actions being prepared in Ukraine that can significantly complicate the security situation,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram.
According to her, the significant influence that Washington and London have on Kiev, and in general their role in managing processes in Ukraine, is also taken into account. In this situation, fearing possible provocations from Ukraine or third countries, it was decided to “some optimization of the staff of Russian foreign missions in Ukraine.”
Due to the allegedly imminent “threat of invasion” of Russian troops, which the United States claims, at least 18 states have recommended that their citizens immediately leave the territory of Ukraine, RIA Novosti reports.