Greece’s Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that one ethnic Greeks was fatally shot and two others were seriously injured during an incident in eastern Ukraine.
In a statement, the Ministry said three Ukrainian soldiers were “responsible” for the deaths and injuries to the three Greeks in the village of Granitna near the front-line of the conflict with pro-Russian separatist forces.
The Ministry said the incident took place after an argument over an “insignificant matter,” but no more details were immediately available.
READ MORE: Greece affirms solidarity with diaspora in Ukraine amid tensions with Russia.
In response, Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, has sought to speak with his Ukrainian counterpart about the incident and stress that the Greek community in Ukraine should be protected.
A few thousand Greek citizens live in the former Soviet republic.
Leave ‘immediately’:
Earlier, Greece had issued an advisory urging its nationals to avoid travelling to Ukraine and calling on any Greeks there to leave “immediately” in the face of fears that Russia, which has massed forces near Ukraine’s borders, could soon invade.
“Greek citizens who have not already left are also advised to immediately report their contact details to the Greek Embassy in Kiev,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry also pointed out that the staff of the Kiev Embassy have been reduced to those that are necessary. At the same time, the staff of the Consulate General of Mariupol will be strengthened.
Moscow has denied any invasion plans and has accused the West of hysteria, but made clear that it sees Ukraine’s quest for closer ties with the West, notably over NATO, as a threat and has demanded a series of security concessions.
