The embassy said Egyptian authorities are in close contact with their Ukrainian counterparts to ensure the safety of Egyptian nationals living in Ukraine, urging our expats to follow instructions from the Ukrainian government until further notice.

The alert comes following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Thursday and in light of the imposition of martial law in Ukraine and the closure of airspace, as well as trains, said a statement by the embassy.  

The embassy will provide the Egyptian community in Ukraine with any additional instructions through its Facebook page, read the statement.

Around 6,000 Egyptians live in Ukraine, with the majority being students,  Khaled Mohamed, the Head of the Youth Committee of the Egyptian Community in Ukraine, said in a phone interview with TEN TV satellite channel on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Minister of Emigration and Expatriates Affairs Nabila Makram said that the ministry is staying in touch with the Egyptian community in Ukraine to follow up the situation and stand on their needs.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Makram said the ministry has been communicating with the concerned officials to discuss alternative solutions for Egyptian students to ensure their safety.

She added that members of the Ministry of Emigration Dialogue Centre for Egyptians studying abroad (MEDCE) are also in contact with Egyptian expats studying in the different cities of Ukraine.

"We have formed an emergency group dedicated to following up the situation of the Egyptian community in Ukraine," Makram said, adding that the group is in communication with the heads of the Egyptian community in Ukraine to keep them appraised of the latest developments.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Embassy in Egypt issued a statement on its official Facebook page Thursday afternoon urging its citizens who are vacationing in Egypt to find temporary residence, and to follow further development of events and to register on the electronic system.

The embassy also called them to maintain contact with the relevant embassies and representatives of Ukraine for further instructions.

In an earlier post, the embassy asked Ukrainian tourists in Egypt to keep in touch with their tour operators and follow the information on the Facebook page.

According to the Ukrainian embassy in Egypt, there are almost 4,000 Ukrainians living, working and studying in Egypt.

Egypt is among the top destinations for Ukrainians with about 1.5 million visiting Egypt in 2019.

In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, almost 727,100 Ukrainian tourists visited Egypt during 2020.