380 Pinoys in Ukraine urged to contact Philippine Embassy amid reports of imminent Russian invasion

Philippine diplomats in Warsaw, Poland have reached out to nearly 400 Filipinos in Ukraine and asked them to immediately contact the embassy for any untoward incident in their areas amid reports of an imminent Russian invasion.

"The Philippine Embassy in Warsaw closely monitors the situation of the approximately 380 Filipino nationals living in Ukraine, most of whom are in Kyiv and its environs and are therefore located far from the eastern border near Russia," a Department of Foreign Affairs statement on Saturday said.

Manila's embassy in Warsaw has jurisdiction over Ukraine.

An attack by Russia on Ukraine "could come within days," US government officials said.

Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden's national security adviser noted "signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border," adding that a major assault could be launched “during the Olympics,” slated to end on Feb. 20.

The Department of Foreign Affairs assured that the Philippine Embassy is in touch with the Filipinos in Ukraine in coordination with the Honorary Consulate General in Kyiv.

"They are encouraged to contact the embassy, report any untoward incident they might observe in their respective areas, and continue monitoring their Filipino friends through social media," the DFA said.

Hotline numbers of the embassy and Consulate General have been disseminated to the Filipino community, it added.

The Philippines has an existing labor deployment ban on Filipinos bound for Ukraine. —KG, GMA News