Japan to temporarily close embassy in Ukraine

Japan on Wednesday said its embassy in Kiev, Ukraine will be temporarily closed amid heightening tensions in the region.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said a liaison office will be set up in western Ukraine's Lviv to handle the embassy's operations including assisting Japanese citizens to leave Ukraine.

The Japanese government has called on its citizens to leave the country, and said that as of February 27 around 120 Japanese citizens were still in Ukraine.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Wednesday said under no circumstances should Japanese nationals travel to Ukraine.

"Japanese nationals should refrain from traveling to Ukraine regardless of purpose," Matsuno told a press briefing, adding that Japan's travel warning to Ukraine has been raised to the highest level. .