Thirty-three Cypriots are among those trapped in Ukraine’s encircled cities of Mariupol, Kharkov and Nikolaev which is around Kyiv, Foreign Ministry spokesman Demetris Demetriou told Philenews.
Some want to flee but Russian shelling prevents them from doing so, he added.
“Among them are the elderly, middle-aged people and children…some of them want to leave but due to the shelling this is difficult,” he said.
“Initially, the number of Cypriots (in war-torn Ukraine) was 70 but gradually most of them left. We managed to carry out evacuation operations, the evacuees left from Kyiv, it is difficult to carry out evacuation of those scattered all around Ukraine.”
However, some do not want to leave since Ukraine is their permanent place of residence and feel they cannot go somewhere else.
The Foreign Ministry maintains communication with those Cypriots who stayed behind, he also said eve those the embassy in Ukraine has suspended operation because of the invasion.
For this purpose, a crisis management centre has been and can be contacted at 22-801000.
