UPDATE - Czech Republic calls on its citizens in Russia, Belarus to come home

UPDATES WITH DETAILS ON KYRGYZSTAN, KAZAKHSTAN, CHANGES BYLINE

By Anadolu Agency staff

PRAGUE, Czech Republic / TASHKENT, Uzbekistan / BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AA) - Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Czech Republic on Monday urged its citizens to evacuate Russia and Belarus and come home.

Czechs in Belarus and Russia were asked to leave these countries without delay, the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.

The statement noted the growing tension in these countries due to the war and said that a message will be sent to citizens registered with the ministry.

The Czech Republic evacuated its diplomats in Ukraine over the weekend and also temporarily closed its consulates in the Russian cities of St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

Separately, a second train carrying ammunition also reportedly left the Czech Republic for Ukraine.

There was no word on what kinds of weapons were on the second train after the first train reached Ukraine last night.

The Czech Republic has announced that it will provide weapons and ammunition assistance in the amount of about £16 million ($17.91 million) to support Ukraine.

- Uzbek nationals also leaving

Due to the war, the evacuation of about 200 Uzbek citizens who want to leave Ukraine through Poland also began on Monday.

The first group including women, children, and students left on an Uzbekistan Airlines plane for the capital Tashkent, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said.

According to Uzbek authorities, there are about 5,000 Uzbek citizens currently living in Ukraine.

- Kyrgyzstan starts evacuation

Of the 300 Kyrgyz nationals who want to leave Ukraine due to the closure of the country's airspace, 107 left the capital Kyiv by bus towards the Hungarian border, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said.

The evacuation efforts were organized with the help of the Kyrgyz honorary consul to Hungary, Endre Erdos, as well as the Kyrgyz Embassy in Budapest.

Twelve more nationals of the Central Asian country crossed into Poland, Moldova, and Romania on Monday, the statement added.

Of the 1,357 Kyrgyz citizens living in Ukraine, 680 are registered at the consulate, it added.

- Kazak nationals returning home

As many as 528 Kazakh nationals applied to return to Kazakhstan from Ukraine, according to a statement by the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, with 175 evacuated on Monday, including six babies.

An Air Astana plane took off with evacuees from the Polish city of Katowice, landing later at the Almaty Airport.

The country said it would carry out three evacuation expeditions for its nationals seeking to return from Ukraine, with the second flight to take off from Poland on Tuesday.

Since Russia's war on Ukraine began last Thursday, it has been met by outrage from the international community, with the EU, UK, and US implementing a range of economic sanctions against Russia.

*Writing by Merve Berker in Ankara