Israel has reportedly told Russia it will need help evacuating citizens if Ukraine is invaded

Israeli citizens return to Tel Aviv from Kyiv.
(Image credit: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel is taking the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine seriously, with a senior government official telling his Russian counterpart during a Wednesday phone call that if it happens, Israel will need Moscow's help getting citizens and diplomats evacuated, Axios reports.

Two senior Israeli officials told Axios the phone call was between Alon Ushpiz, the director general of Israel's foreign ministry, and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. Earlier, Israel's ambassador to Moscow had a similar conversation with Bogdanov, the officials said.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.