Press release

Ukraine: UK government to re-open British embassy in Kyiv

The British embassy will re-open in Kyiv next week after its temporary closure.

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government
UK Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons.

UK Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons.

The UK government will shortly re-open the British embassy in Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv.

The embassy was forced to temporarily close due to Russia’s full-scale and illegal invasion. A contingent of British staff remained in western Ukraine to provide humanitarian and other support.

The Prime Minister has today confirmed the embassy is set to re-open next week, dependent on the security situation.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

The extraordinary fortitude and success of President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people in resisting Russian forces, means we will shortly be re-opening our British Embassy in Kyiv.

I want to pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of the embassy team and their work throughout this period.

The British embassy premises are currently being made secure before staff return, starting with the UK Ambassador Melinda Simmons.

The UK continues to advise against all travel to Ukraine.

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Updates to this page

Published 22 April 2022