A total of 140 Cypriot citizens who live permanently or are temporarily in Ukraine are registered on the www.connect2cy.gov.cy platform of the Cyprus Foreign Ministry.
Due to the further escalation of tension in the region, the Foreign Ministry has advised Cypriots to avoid travelling to Ukraine.
In addition, citizens of the Republic residing in Ukraine have been urged to leave the country while there are still direct commercial flights.
It is noted that, in case of further deterioration of the situation, the airlines may diversify or suspend their flight schedule to and from Ukraine.
Ministry spokesperson, Demetris Demetriou, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that Cypriots whose presence in the country is deemed necessary should remain on standby and declare their contact details at the embassy in Kyiv, and register on the online platform.
Demetriou said that there is no issue of chartering flights right now, as there are still commercial flights, and anyone who wants can leave Ukraine.
“We have the details of 140 citizens who are in Ukraine on the platform.
“We have sent them an SMS with the telephone numbers of the embassy there and the Ministry’s Crisis Management Department, and relevant links with the travel advice we have issued for Ukraine.”
Furthermore, he noted that the Cypriot citizens who are temporarily in Ukraine are very few, and most Cypriot citizens in Ukraine registered on the platform live permanently there.
Approximately 20 citizens out of the 140 were registered on the platform after the Ministry recommended Cypriots avoid non-essential trips to Eastern and Northern Ukraine due to a possible escalation of the tension in the region or those currently in the country to depart.
Russia has said that a diplomatic solution to its escalating standoff with the West is still possible.
President Vladimir Putin was told that diplomatic talks had not yet been exhausted in a televised meeting.
The comments come after more than a dozen nations urged their citizens to leave Ukraine, and the US said aerial bombardments could begin “at any time”.
Russia has always denied plans to invade Ukraine, despite massing more than 100,000 troops on the border.
Meanwhile, some troops in Russia’s military districts adjacent to Ukraine returned to their bases Tuesday after completing drills, a move that could de-escalate friction between Moscow and the West.
