TOKYO – Japan announced on Wednesday that its embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, will be temporarily closed due to rising regional tensions.

According to the Xinhua news agency, the Japanese Foreign Ministry stated a liaison office will be established in western Ukraine's Lviv to handle the embassy's operations, including supporting Japanese people leaving Ukraine.

The Japanese government has urged its citizens to leave the country, claiming that around 120 Japanese citizens remained in Ukraine as of February 27.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan's top government spokesperson, stated on Wednesday that Japanese citizens should not travel to Ukraine under any circumstances."Regardless of the cause, Japanese nationals should refrain from coming to Ukraine," Matsuno said at a press conference, adding that Japan's travel warning to Ukraine has been elevated to the highest level.

Jyotiraditya Scindia interacts with students waiting at Bucharest airport

Guterres says, “Don't discriminate against civilians fleeing Ukraine”

Around 6000 Russian soldiers killed in six days of war: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky