NATO Relocates Staff From Kyiv For Safety Reasons

NATO countries were monitoring and assessing the situation in Ukraine very closely, according to one official, and continue to take all the necessary measures.

Amid growing fears of a possible Russian invasion, NATO has relocated Ukraine staff from Kyiv while the German airline Lufthansa has announced that it is suspending flights to and from the Ukrainian capital and Odesa.

A NATO official said on February 19 that staff were being moved from Kyiv to Lviv in the west of the country and to Brussels for security reasons.

"The safety of our personnel is paramount, so staff have been relocated to Lviv and Brussels. The NATO offices in Ukraine remain operational," the official said, without giving any details on the number of staff relocated.

Also on February 19, Lufthansa said that it was suspending flights to and from both Kyiv and the Black Sea port of Odesa from February 21 until the end of the month.

The company, which owns Eurowings, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, and Austrian Airlines as well as Germany's flagship carrier, said that it was constantly monitoring the situation and would decide whether to restart flights at a later date.

A Lufthansa spokesman said the airline will continue to fly to Lviv, where several Western countries, including the United States and Britain, have moved their embassies out of concern for the safety of their staff.

Lufthansa is following several other European airlines, which have already canceled services to and from Ukraine.

Earlier on February 19, Germany's Foreign Ministry told its nationals to leave the country.

The announcements come amid growing concern that Moscow could launch an offensive against Ukraine.

Russia has gathered at least 150,000 troops in areas near its border with its western neighbor, sparking fears it may be readying for an invasion.

Moscow has said it has no plans to attack Ukraine.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa