China is urging its citizens to evacuate in war-torn Ukraine.

Beijing's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine announced on Saturday that all of its citizens should evacuate the country, according to the Global Times, a Chinese state news agency. The embassy said that it would assist its citizens in this capacity.

"With the current grim security situation in #Ukraine, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese Embassy in Ukraine on Sat urge Chinese citizens in the country to enhance safety precautions and evacuate. The Embassy will assist in organizing the evacuation of people in need," the Global Times tweeted.

Given China's close relationship with Russia, the sudden announcement indicates that Russia may be preparing an escalation of its invasion of Ukraine.

However, the move may also simply be a response to Russia's increasing missile strikes against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, particularly towards Ukraine's energy grid, which is bound to make the living situation difficult as winter approaches.

Washington Examiner