Staff of the Russian diplomatic mission in Ukraine are leaving the country, an informed source told RIA Novosti.

"According to the statements by Ukrainian citizens, Russian diplomats and consular employees in Ukraine have started leaving for Russia. This is evidenced, in particular, by the difficulties encountered at the consulates and embassy receptions," said this source.

According to the interlocutor, this "suggests that Moscow has decided to go the same way" amid the evacuation from Ukraine officially announced by some Western countries.

"By the way, [Russian] Sergei Lavrov insinuated the possibility of such a scenario during the press conference after talks with UK foreign secretary Elizabeth Truss," the aforesaid source recalled.