6 Filipinos repatriated from Ukraine amid reports of potential Russian invasion

Six Filipinos in Ukraine were repatriated on Friday amid reports of a possible Russian invasion.

In a tweet, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said the plane carrying the Filipino nationals arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

“Four of the six returning Filipinos boarded their flights from Kyiv while the other two took their flight from Lviv,” she said.

Arriola said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Philippine Embassy in Poland assisted the repatriates.

Approximately 380 Filipinos are living in Ukraine, most of whom are in Kyiv and located far from the eastern border near Russia.

The DFA earlier said it was in close coordination with its diplomatic posts in the region regarding repatriation arrangements.

Russia has deployed around 100,000 troops along Ukraine's northern, eastern and southern borders, with the United States warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin could attack anytime.

In response, the US has poured in military hardware in Ukraine and contributed to the buildup of NATO forces in Eastern Europe in anticipation of a Russian invasion.

According to Reuters, US President Joe Biden said Moscow was preparing a pretext to justify a possible attack. — VBL, GMA News