South Korea to close temporary embassy in Ukraine's Lviv as Russian shelling intensifies

As the Russia-Ukraine war shows no sign of de-escalation even after three weeks of conflict, South Korea has decided to shut down its temporary embassy in Lviv. In a statement, Seoul's  Foreign Ministry announced on Friday, March 18, that the decision has been taken due to "escalating military threats" near the western Ukrainian city, CNN reported. According to the statement, the increased military threats near Lviv have hampered the embassy's ability "to function and to secure the safety of its staff". 

It is worth noting that on March 3, the South Korean embassy in Ukraine was relocated from Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, to Lviv. The ministry has further noted that it also has temporary offices in Chernivtsi, southwestern Ukraine, as well as Romania, all of which will remain open and operating.  

As per the presidential Blue House in South Korea, there were 28 South Korean citizens in Ukraine as of Thursday, excluding embassy staff and those in the Crimean Peninsula. 

Russian soldiers launch six cruise missiles targeting Lviv airport

Notably, South Korea's announcement came on the same day when Russian soldiers launched six cruise missiles towards Lviv airport. On Friday morning, Russian X-555 missiles were fired from the Black Sea region, targeting the Lviv airfield, according to initial information. The Russian missiles damaged a repair factory near the airport, whose employees had fled before the attack, according to Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi's Telegram message. 

According to Sadovyi's Telegram video, no injuries have yet been reported. Lviv, in particular, is often regarded as NATO's main gateway to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine Pravda said that rockets were intercepted by West Air Command anti-air missiles.  

Although peace talks to establish a ceasefire and the evacuation of Russian soldiers are ongoing, the war between Russia and Ukraine has taken unexpected turns, according to The Kyiv Independent. Highlighting the progress of the discussions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's senior adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Thursday that Zelenskyy as well as his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to meet in the next week after drafting a provisional cease-fire proposal, according to NEXTA. 

(Image: AP)