February 22

The Japanese Foreign Ministry has renewed its call for Japanese nationals in Ukraine to evacuate immediately.

The ministry issued fresh Overseas Travel Safety Information on Ukraine on Tuesday morning.

The move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that recognizes two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities.

The Japanese ministry says the number of attacks by pro-Russian separatists on Ukrainian forces in the Donbass region has rapidly increased since last weekend.

It says it cannot eliminate the possibility that Russia's unilateral decision will further stoke fighting and that combat areas will expand.

The ministry says there were about 120 Japanese nationals in Ukraine as of last weekend.

NHK