The Estonian foreign ministry recommends avoiding non-essential travel to Ukraine and to the Russian areas around it due to the Russian threat of war against the country.
Previously, the foreign ministry recommended avoiding non-essential travel to Ukraine only, citing the “increased risk of military action by Russia”.
“Estonian nationals currently in Ukraine are advised to reconsider the need to remain in the country and return to Estonia, if possible,” it added.
On 18 February, however, the foreign ministry updated its travel advisory, saying people should completely avoid travelling to the Russian areas surrounding Ukraine.
“We ask the Estonian citizens currently in Russia to register on the foreign ministry’s website.”
The US president, Joe Biden, on 18 February said the American intelligence reports show the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, has made a final decision to invade Ukraine.
“We have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to, intend to, attack Ukraine in the coming week, in the coming days,” Biden said. “We believe that they will target Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million innocent people.”
Russia has reportedly mobilised over 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border and the Russian president Vladimir Putin has tasked his diplomats with securing US and NATO agreement to his demands for a new security order in the Eastern and Central Europe.
