Winds of war in Ukraine:
The Foreign Ministry and the Israeli embassy in Kiev have circulated in recent days among Israelis living in the country, passing on their contact details.
So far, about 3,000 people have responded to the request.
Israelis are asked to update on their area of residence in Ukraine as well as provide a number of means of communication.
The campaign was circulated on social media.
This seems to be a preparatory step for the possibility of a military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine.
However, at this stage there is no talk in Israel about evacuation and following developments.
Meanwhile, the Jewish Agency contacted all its employees in Ukraine and announced that it was preparing to evacuate them when necessary.
A letter sent to workers and volunteers states that in the event of a war, the agency will take care of returning them to Israel.
In Kiev, vigilance is maintained: "In the West, they are afraid of another Kabul"
While the concentration of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border continues, some Western countries, including the United States, have decided to partially evacuate the diplomatic staff and their families from Kiev, and even recommend that their citizens leave the country soon.
Officials in Kiev expressed disappointment with this, blaming it on the consequences of the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fear of sights similar to those seen in the capital Kabul, in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, commented on the decision, saying it was an "act of excessive caution".
Ukrainian citizens undergo basic training, Photo: GettyImages
"There have been no drastic changes in the security situation in recent times," Nikolenko added.
"The threat of new waves of Russian aggression has remained in place since 2014, while the military crystallization near the state border began as early as last April."
Ukrainian officials involved in talks with Western embassies, who spoke anonymously, explained that the hasty decisions to evacuate Kiev are made for many reasons, but mainly due to the fall of Kabul in August 2021. Such a shock now makes many Western governments extremely sensitive to the situation in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. Such have a negative impact on public sentiment in Ukraine.
"It would be a good idea to put an end to all the hysteria," they said.
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