MOSCOW. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Russia's leadership has decided to evacuate personnel of foreign institutions in Ukraine, the evacuation will be carried out as soon as possible, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The Russian embassy in Kyiv and the country's Consulates General in Odesa, Lviv and Kharkiv have been repeatedly attacked since 2014, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.
"Provocations have been regularly staged against the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Kyiv; its director was hurt, and damage was done to the Center's property. Russian diplomats also became targets of aggressive actions. Threats of physical violence were made against them. Their vehicles were set on fire. Contrary to their commitments under the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations, the Kyiv authorities did not react to what was happening," the statement said.
"Under the current circumstances, our top priority is to take care of the Russian diplomats and employees of the Embassy and Consulates General. In order to protect their lives and safety, the Russian leadership has decided to evacuate the personnel of Russian foreign institutions in Ukraine, and this will be implemented in the very near future," it said.