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UK eases travel warning for parts of western Ukraine

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Ukraine crisis: Countries around world urge citizens to leave amid fears Russia could invade 'at any time'

The Foreign Office updates its travel advice for Ukraine as Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells fellow world leaders he "fears for the security of Europe" over the threat of a Russian invasion.

By Greg Heffer, political reporter, and Connor Sephton, news reporter

Saturday 12 February 2022 13:27, UK

British nationals in Ukraine have been warned not to expect a military evacuation and urged to leave "immediately by any means possible" amid fears of a Russian invasion.

The UK and the US have been joined by Japan, Latvia, Norway, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand in issuing warnings to citizens who are still in the country.

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Junior defence minister James Heappey told Sky News: "British nationals should leave Ukraine immediately by any means possible and they should not expect, as they saw in the summer with Afghanistan, that there would be any possibility of a military evacuation."

He told the BBC that British troops in Ukraine to train local forces would be leaving this weekend. "All of them will be withdrawn. There will be no British troops in Ukraine if there is to be a conflict there," he said.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Americans should leave within 48 hours and also should not expect military evacuation if they fail to heed this advice.

As new forces continue to arrive at the Ukrainian border, he added: "If a Russian attack on Ukraine proceeds, it is likely to begin with aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians without regard to their nationality."

The US has suspended consular services in Kyiv and ordered the departure of most staff. There will be limited embassy presence in Lviv.

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A Russian official would only say that staff numbers had been "optimised" at its own embassy.

Many analysts had believed an invasion was unlikely until after the Winter Olympics concludes in China on 20 February - but according to the AP news agency, Washington has picked up intelligence that suggests Moscow is looking at Wednesday as a target date.

Russia wants guarantees from the West, including a promise of no missile deployments near its borders, no NATO membership for Ukraine, and a scaling back of the alliance's military infrastructure.

Although the West has described the Kremlin's main demands as "non-starters", it is prepared to discuss arms control and other confidence-building steps.

The White House has confirmed that Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin will discuss the crisis by phone later today, and it comes as Washington prepares to send an additional 3,000 troops to Poland in the coming days.

'British nationals in Ukraine should leave now'

On Friday evening, the Foreign Office issued updated travel guidance to advise UK citizens "against all travel to Ukraine".

"British nationals in Ukraine should leave now while commercial means are still available," the updated advice added.

"Since January 2022, the build-up of Russian forces on Ukraine's borders has increased the threat of military action.

"Due to this increased threat, the FCDO has taken the decision to further withdraw embassy staff from Kyiv.

"The embassy remains open but will be unable to provide in-person consular assistance. British nationals should leave while commercial options remain."

PM tells allies he 'fears for security of Europe'

In a virtual meeting on Friday evening, the prime minister spoke with the leaders of the US, Italy, Poland, Romania, France, Germany, the EU, and NATO.

"The prime minister told the group that he feared for the security of Europe in the current circumstances," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

"He impressed the need for NATO allies to make it absolutely clear that there will be a heavy package of economic sanctions ready to go, should Russia make the devastating and destructive decision to invade Ukraine.

Read more: What are NATO spy planes doing to keep tabs on the Russians? Analysis - US language hardens as Putin tests Western unity

"The prime minister added that President [Vladimir] Putin had to understand that there would be severe penalties that would be extremely damaging to Russia's economy, and that allies needed to continue with efforts to reinforce and support the Eastern frontiers of NATO.

"He urged the leaders to work together to deliver economic and defensive support to Ukraine."

But the spokesperson added that world leaders had agreed, if Mr Putin "de-escalated", there would be "another way forward" as they "pledged to redouble diplomatic efforts in the coming days".

Russia is currently holding massive war games in Belarus, which borders Russia, Ukraine and Poland.

UK-Russia relations 'above zero'

Earlier in the day, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had continued those diplomatic efforts as he held talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow.

Mr Wallace described the discussions as "constructive and frank" and said that relations between Russia and Britain were "above zero" following the first meeting between a UK defence minister and Russia's Sergei Shoigu since 2013.

Stressing the need for talks to prevent "miscalculation and escalation", Mr Wallace expressed his hope that Friday's meeting had contributed to a "better atmosphere" between the two sides.

"When they say to me they are not going to invade Ukraine we will take that seriously but, as I also said, we will look at the actions that accompany it," the defence secretary said.

Mr Wallace also agreed with a US assessment that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen "at any time", amid the ongoing joint military drills between Russia and Belarus.

"The disposition of the Russian forces that we see - over 100,000 in both Belarus and Ukraine - obviously gives that size of force the ability to do a whole range of actions, including an invasion of a neighbouring country at any time," he said.

His visit to Moscow came a day after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss held frosty talks with her Russian counterpart - with Sergei Lavrov later characterising that meeting as a "conversation between deaf and dumb".

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Mr Wallace added: "We obviously have made it very clear in NATO that an invasion would have tragic consequences and we are here, and I'm here today for example, to seek a way of whatever we can to deescalate that tension.

"I heard clearly from the Russian government that they had no intention of invading Ukraine. And I also heard some of their concerns."

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Update April 12, 2024

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Ukraine Travel Advisory

Travel advisory may 22, 2023, ukraine - level 4: do not travel.

Do not travel to Ukraine due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Department of State continues to advise that U.S. citizens not travel to Ukraine due to active armed conflict. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

All U.S. citizens should carefully monitor U.S. government notices and local and international media outlets for information about changing security conditions and alerts to shelter in place. Those choosing to remain in Ukraine should exercise caution due to the potential for military attacks, crime, civil unrest, and consult the Department’s latest security alerts.

The security situation in Ukraine remains unpredictable. U.S. citizens in Ukraine should stay vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. Know the location of your closest shelter or protected space. In the event of mortar, missile, drone, or rocket fire, follow instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately. If you feel your current location is no longer safe, you should carefully assess the potential risks involved in moving to a different location.

There are continued reports of Russian forces and their proxies singling out U.S. citizens in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine for detention, interrogation, or harassment because of their nationality. U.S. citizens have also been singled out when evacuating by land through Russia-occupied territory or to Russia or Belarus.

U.S. citizens seeking emergency assistance should email [email protected] for assistance. Please review what the U.S. government can and cannot do to assist you in a crisis overseas . U.S. citizens may also seek consular services, including requests for repatriation loans, passports, and visa services, at U.S. embassies and consulates in neighboring countries .

On February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian government declared a state of emergency. Each province (oblast) decides on measures to be implemented according to local conditions. Measures could include curfews, restrictions on the freedom of movement, ID verification, and increased security inspections, among other measures. Follow any oblast-specific state of emergency measures.

Many in the international community, including the United States and Ukraine, do not recognize Russia’s purported annexation of Crimea in 2014, nor the September 2022 purported annexation of four other Ukrainian oblasts -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. There is extensive Russian Federation military presence in these areas. There are also abuses against foreigners and the local population by the occupation authorities in these regions, particularly against those who are seen as challenging Russia’s occupation.

Although Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine severely restricts the Embassy’s access and ability to provide services in these areas, the Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv continue to remotely provide certain emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Crimea as well as four other Ukrainian oblasts partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia – to the extent possible given security conditions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) prohibiting U.S. aviation operations into, out of, within, or over Ukraine. For more information, U.S. citizens should consult the FAA’s Prohibitions, Restrictions, and Notices .

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Ukraine.

Travel to High-Risk Areas

If you choose to disregard the Travel Advisory and travel to Ukraine, you should consider taking the following steps:

• Visit our website on Travel to High-Risk areas .
• Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
• Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
• Share important documents, login information, and points of contact with loved ones so that they can manage your affairs if you are unable to return as planned to the United States.
• Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them.
• Establish your own personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organization or consider consulting with a professional security organization.
• Develop a communication plan with family and/or your employer or host organization so that they can monitor your safety and location as you travel through high-risk areas. This plan should specify who you would contact first and how they should share the information.
• Enroll your trip in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter .
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist .

If you are currently in Ukraine:

• Read the Department’s country information page on Ukraine.
• Familiarize yourself with information on what the U.S. government can and cannot do to assist you in a crisis overseas .
• Have a contingency plan in place that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.
• Monitor local media for breaking events and adjust your contingency plans based on the new information.
• Avoid demonstrations and crowds.
• Ensure travel documents are valid and easily accessible.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Notices related to your travel.
• Get a COVID vaccine to facilitate your travel.
• Understand the COVID testing and vaccine requirements for all countries that you will transit through to your destination.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Review the Country Security Report for Ukraine.
• Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
• Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk areas .

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Review both the Vaccination and Malaria sections on this page to find out if you may need vaccines and/or a malaria risk assessment before you travel to this country.

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• Diphtheria :  spread person to person through respiratory droplets. Risk is higher if mixing with locals in poor, overcrowded living conditions.

Risk is higher where personal hygiene and sanitation is poor.

Risk is higher for long stays, frequent travel and for children (exposed through cuts and scratches), those who may require medical treatment during travel.

• Tetanus :  spread through contamination of cuts, burns and wounds with tetanus spores. Spores are found in soil worldwide. A total of 5 doses of tetanus vaccine are recommended for life in the UK. Boosters are usually recommended in a country or situation where the correct treatment of an injury may not be readily available.
• Tick-borne Encephalitis :  spread mainly through tick bites. Risk is higher during the warmer months between spring to autumn. Spending long periods of time outdoors in forests or rural areas whilst undertaking outdoor activities such as camping, rambling or mountain biking increases your risk.
• Malaria not normally present unless the illness was contracted abroad.

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Please be aware that the risk of COVID-19 in this country may change at short notice and also consider your risk of exposure in any transit countries and from travelling itself. 

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For further information, see  Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)  and  COVID-19: Health Considerations for Travel  pages.

• 24 Apr 2024 - Measles in Europe: Update 1
• 09 Apr 2024 - Measles in Europe
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Regional risks

This section has safety advice for regions of Ukraine. It only covers regions where FCDO has specific advice.

You should also read FCDO ’s overall travel advice and safety and security advice .

Western regions

FCDO  advises against all but essential travel to:

• Zakarpattia
• Ivano-Frankivsk

In the event of attacks, follow the advice of the local authorities, including responding to air raid sirens.

Crimea and eastern Ukraine

FCDO  advises against all travel to Ukrainian territories which are temporarily under Russian control. FCDO  is not able to provide consular services to anyone in these regions.

To enter or exit Crimea

In theory foreign nationals need to provide their passport and a special permit issued by the territorial body of the State Migration Service of Ukraine . However, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, it is not currently possible for foreign nationals to enter or exit Crimea.

The Crimean sea ports of Kerch, Sevastopol, Feodosia, Yalta and Yevpatoria have been designated by the Ukrainian authorities as closed to international shipping.

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