Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the flag over the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv in May and announced it was reopening for business.
Nearly three months on, Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine is not back at her old desk, but is instead working at another location in Kyiv with her staff for security reasons.
Russian forces, which invaded Ukraine in late February, launched a missile attack on the Kyiv area for the first time in weeks Thursday.
Trudeau made a surprise visit to Ukraine in May with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza, announcing the embassy’s reopening.
Global Affairs Canada says that although Ottawa has re-established a diplomatic presence in Ukraine, diplomatic staff are not working at the embassy due to security concerns.
Department spokesman Jason Kung says Canada looks forward to gradually restoring Canada’s full diplomatic presence and services as soon as possible.
