Russian media announcements that EU countries are urgently evacuating their diplomats from Ukraine does not correspond to reality. As of now, European Union countries’ embassies are remaining in Kyiv and continuing their work as usual.
Russian media are massively spreading disinformation about EU embassies being urgently evacuated from Kyiv to Poland. This is allegedly due to the massive missile attacks on Ukraine by the Russian Armed Forces, which began on the morning of October 10.
However, this claim does not correspond to reality. Currently no EU countries’ embassies have left Kyiv. On the contrary, on their official social media pages, ambassadors assure that they, like thousands of Ukrainians, were in shelters during the air-raid alert.
German Ambassador to Ukraine, Anka Feldhusen, reported that she was in a shelter in one of the subway stations, along with hundreds of Kyiv residents, during the October 10 missile attack on the city. In a comment for the TSN news program, Anka Feldhusen specified that she was not far from where the first strikes hit, and had to stay in the metro station for five hours.
The German Embassy’s visa office was damaged during the Russian missile strikes on Kyiv. According to the embassy, they have not used these offices since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Speaking to TSN, Ambassador Feldhusen said that no staff members were injured during the shelling, and the German embassy continues its work in Kyiv.
British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons was also in Kyiv during the Russian attack. She wrote on Twitter that all British embassy staff members were fine. “My thoughts right now with those injured. Huge thankfulness for Ukrainian first responders,” the ambassador wrote.
On October 11, Melinda Simmons confirmed that the UK embassy is in Kyiv and is continuing its work.
Bartosz Cichocki, the Polish Ambassador to Ukraine also confirmed on Radio RMF24 that he is also in Ukraine and that the embassy continues working as usual.
The French Embassy in Ukraine announced that they are not going to evacuate from Kyiv. “The embassy remains and will remain in Kyiv to support our Ukrainian friends and to serve the French people as well as Franco-Ukrainian relations,” the French Embassy said in an official Twitter statement.
Other Ukrainian partners are also remaining in Kyiv. The U.S. Embassy assured that they are continuing to work in Kyiv despite Russian shelling. According to U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink, after another wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, American diplomats working at the embassy are now safe.
“Thank you to everyone who has responded and is working for our safety. My heart breaks for the victims in Kyiv and across Ukraine,” Brink wrote on Twitter.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that he was in constant contact with partners “to coordinate a resolute response to Russians attacks.”
Earlier, StopFake debunked similar disinformation about the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and the Consulate in Odesa allegedly ceasing their work in Ukraine.
