Department of State Presence in Ukraine
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Today the Department of State is again taking action for the safety and security of U.S. citizens, including our personnel. For security reasons, Department of State personnel currently in Lviv will spend the night in Poland. Our personnel will regularly return to continue their diplomatic work in Ukraine and provide emergency consular services. They will continue to support the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government, coordinating on diplomatic efforts. The United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s aggression is unwavering. The fact that we are taking prudent precautions for the sake of the safety of U.S. government personnel and U.S. citizens, as we do regularly worldwide, in no way undermines our support for, or our commitment to, Ukraine. Our commitment to Ukraine transcends any one location.
We strongly reiterate our recommendation to U.S. citizens to depart Ukraine immediately. The security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable throughout the country and may deteriorate with little notice. There is a strong likelihood that any Russian military operations would severely restrict commercial air travel. Russian troops have continued to move closer to the border in what looks like plans for an invasion at any moment. There have been reports of increased ceasefire violations in Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk in recent days. And Russia has ordered troops to deploy into the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine. U.S. citizens who choose to remain in these areas despite our advice to depart Ukraine immediately should remain vigilant and alert to their surroundings. In the event of an attack, U.S. citizens should seek shelter in a hardened structure and monitor major news outlets for guidance on when it is safe to move.
U.S. citizens seeking to depart Ukraine needing further information should communicate with the Department of State via our online assistance request form or call 1-833-741-2777 (in the United States) or 1-606-260-4379 (from overseas) for immediate assistance. U.S. citizens planning to depart Ukraine should consult our guidance on how to cross land borders when departing Ukraine. We have stationed support teams near the Ukrainian border in Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova to provide assistance to U.S. citizens, and have opened a Welcome Center for U.S. citizens in Poland.
U.S. citizens can seek consular services at Embassies and Consulates in the region listed below, or any U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Visit our United with Ukraine website for more information about U.S. government actions to support the Ukrainian government and people.
U.S. Embassy Poland: https://pl.usembassy.
U.S. Embassy Hungary: https://hu.usembassy.
U.S. Embassy Romania: https://ro.usembassy.
U.S. Embassy Moldova: https://md.usembassy.
U.S. Embassy Czech Republic: https://cz.
U.S. Embassy Slovakia: https://sk.
U.S. Mission to Germany: https://de.usembassy.
U.S. Embassy Lithuania: https://lt.
U.S. Mission to the United Kingdom: https://uk.usembassy.
U.S. Mission to Turkey: https://tr.usembassy.
U.S. Embassy Bulgaria: https://bg.
