The U.S. State Department has ordered non-emergency employees to leave the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, ahead of a possible Russian invasion.
“Today, the [State Department] ordered non-emergency U.S. employees at the Embassy to depart due to continued reports of a Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine, indicating potential for significant military action,” the embassy tweeted early Saturday morning.
Diplomatic sources told CBS News that embassy evacuations started overnight. But not all of the staff will be leaving the country, Christina Ruffini reports for “CBS Saturday Morning.” Some will be going to Lviv — a city closer to the Polish border — to provide limited services for Americans who might need them.
As of Sunday, consular services at the Kyiv embassy will be suspended.
“U.S. citizens should not travel to Ukraine, and those in Ukraine should depart immediately using commercial or other privately available transportation options,” said a travel advisory for Ukraine issued on Saturday.
