BY CHATURANGA SAMARAWICKRAMA

The Foreign Ministry requests all Sri Lankan nationals in Ukraine to exercise vigilance and to be in contact with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Ankara, as the Sri Lankan government is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine in the context of recent developments.

While issuing a special advisory, the Ministry advises all Sri Lankan nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine at present.  

The Sri Lanka Embassy in Ankara, concurrently accredited to Kiev, is in close contact with the over 40 Sri Lankans, including 14 students, residing in Ukraine, with a view to ensuring their safety and welfare, the Ministry said.  
While six of the 14 Sri Lankan students in Ukraine have left that country temporarily, the Sri Lanka Embassy in Ankara is closely communicating with the eight remaining students, they said.