The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry views the U.S. Department of State's decision that families of the staff of the U.S. embassy to Kyiv leave Ukraine as premature, ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said.

"The Foreign Ministry has taken into account the U.S. Department of State's departure decision for families of the employees of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv and the authorized voluntary departure of certain employees. As we respect the right of foreign states to ensure the security of their diplomatic staff, we believe that the move of the U.S. side is premature and displays excessive caution," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine.

There has been no drastic change in the security levels lately, considering that the Russian threat has been persisting since 2014, and the Russian military buildup near the border began back in April 2021, he said.

"The U.S. Department of State's decision does not mean that all employees of the U.S. embassy will be leaving Ukraine. The embassy will continue its full-fledged operation. Members of the diplomatic mission have been authorized to leave at their own discretion. Yet this does not make their departure mandatory," Nikolenko said.