Germany is reducing the staff of its embassy in Kyiv and moving the consulate general in Donetsk to Lviv, said the head of the department on Saturday.

"We will keep our embassy in Kyiv open, but we will reduce the diplomatic staff stationed there. Our consulate general in Donetsk, based in Dnipro since 2014, will be temporarily transferred to Lviv," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

The German foreign ministry on Saturday urged citizens to leave Ukraine unless remaining in the country is absolutely necessary.

"Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have again shot up in the last few days due to the massive movements of Russian military units near the Ukrainian border," the German foreign ministry said. "If you are currently in Ukraine, make sure that your presence is imperative. If that is not the case, please leave the country for the time being."