Sri Lanka closely monitoring situation in Ukraine - Foreign Ministry

The Government of Sri Lanka today said that it is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine in the context of recent developments.  

The Sri Lanka Embassy in Ankara, concurrently accredited to Kyiv, is in close contact with the over forty Sri Lankan nationals, including fourteen students, residing in Ukraine, with a view to ensuring their safety and welfare, the Foreign Ministry said.

While six of the fourteen Sri Lankan students in Ukraine have left the country temporarily, the Sri Lanka Embassy in Ankara is in close communication with the eight remaining students, it said.

The Foreign Ministry requested all Sri Lankan nationals in Ukraine to exercise vigilance and to be in contact with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Ankara.  

The Ministry also advised all Sri Lankan nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine at present.

Amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, tensions have spiked in the country’s east, where Ukrainian forces are locked in a long conflict with Russia-backed separatists.