Foreign Ministry spokesman: Few Iranians remaining in Ukraine sheltered in safe places

The spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry says only a few Iranians have remained in Ukraine after the beginning of Russia's special operations there, and they have been sheltered in safe places.

Saeed Khatibzadeh made the remarks in a televised interview late on Saturday, in which he elaborated on the situation of Iranian nationals left in Ukraine, saying, "No problem has been reported so far. However, there have been certain concerns and efforts have been made to address them."

The Iranian spokesman said due to the military conditions in Ukraine and a curfew imposed on the government, it has not been possible to take all the Iranians out of the country.

"The situation in Ukraine is an emergency. In the first phase [of addressing the situation of the Ukraine-based Iranians] and up to the present moment, we have tried to transfer students and other Iranians away from high-risk cities," Khatibzadeh noted.

So far, as many as 200 students have been transferred by train to Ukraine’s western borders, he said, adding, however, that due to the curfew that has been announced by Ukraine, the Ministry has not been able to evacuate all the Iranians and they have been sheltered in safe places by the [Iranian] embassy.

He noted that until the end of the curfew, which would last until Monday night, the Iranian Embassy would keep accommodating the remaining Iranians.

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On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” aimed at “demilitarization” of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics in eastern Ukraine.

The regions broke away from Ukraine in 2014 after refusing to recognize a Western-backed Ukrainian government that had overthrown a democratically-elected Russia-friendly administration.

Announcing the operation, Putin said the mission was aimed at “defending people who for eight years are suffering persecution and genocide by the Kiev regime.”

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Elsewhere in his remarks, Khatibzadeh said the Iranian Foreign Ministry has also contacted the Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran, urging it to ensure Iranians’ safe passage out of the danger zones.

Iran FM discusses situation of Iranians in Ukraine with ambassador to Poland

In another development on Saturday evening, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian contacted the Iranian ambassador to Poland to ask him about the situation of those Iranians, who have reached the Polish territory after leaving Ukraine.

The top diplomat asked the envoy to provide the Iranians with all kinds of necessary accommodation and other required facilities, including foodstuff and healthcare.

The envoy assured the minister that due measures have been taken to address their situation, adding that efforts were also underway to evacuate Iranians by plane from the Polish capital of Warsaw to Tehran.

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