Israeli diplomatic staff in Lviv to spends their nights in Poland

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has instructed Israeli embassy staff in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv to cross over into Poland in the evenings, amid ongoing fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian troops following Moscow’s invasion of its western neighbor on Thursday.

The Israeli diplomatic staff will stay in Poland and cross the border into Ukraine every day to continue their diplomatic work and provide consular services to help Israeli citizens leave Ukraine, the foreign minister said.

The Foreign Ministry said it instructed thousands of Israeli citizens still in Ukraine and arriving at border crossings to prominently display a sign bearing the letters ‘IL’ on their clothing or on vehicles so they could be identified by embassy staff in lines and crowds.

“We ask all Israeli citizens exiting Ukraine at the border crossings to display on their bodies (if pedestrians) or in their vehicle (if in a vehicle) a prominent sign with the letters ‘IL’ so that Israeli representatives can locate Israeli citizens in queues and assist them as much as possible,” the ministry said in a statement.

Israeli diplomatic staff would be present at the following crossings, the ministry said: the Medyka/Sheiny crossing into Poland, which officials said was extremely busy and crowded; the Uzhhorod/Vysne Nemescke crossing into Slovakia; the Zahony/Chop crossing into Hungary; the Siret crossing into Romania; the Palanca crossing into southern Moldova; and the Mogilev-Podolskiy crossing into northern Moldova.

The Israeli embassy employees completed their relocation from the capital of Kyiv to Lviv, closer to the Polish border, on Tuesday amid fears an invasion was imminent.

Russian troops have been pressing toward Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, after a night of explosions and street fighting Saturday sent residents seeking shelter underground.

The country’s leader refused an American offer to evacuate, insisting he would stay. “The fight is here,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

It was not immediately clear how far Russian troops had advanced. Ukrainian officials reported some success in fending off assaults, but fighting persisted near the capital. Skirmishes reported on the edge of the city suggested that small Russian units were trying to clear a path for the main forces.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it reached the decision to move embassy staff out of Lviv following a situational assessment Saturday morning that Russian troops may occupy the city.

This development came as reports circulated that Russian troops attempted a landing in the Lviv region, near the city of Brody to the northeast.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy said a landing of three Russian helicopters was repelled by Ukrainian troops, a claim that was later refuted by Ukraine’s security services.

Agencies contributed to this report.