The Ukrainian government said it has continued to keep all checkpoints on the western border open 24 hours a day despite "extremely difficult conditions" to hasten the safe evacuation of civilians from the besieged cities of Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing attacks.

In a statement on Monday, March 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine said checks and check-in operations at the checkpoints have also been simplified "as much as possible," and the list of necessary documents has been minimized to expedite the evacuation of civilians.

"Citizens of all nationalities who are traversing the border are asked to comply with law and order and to act responsibly in light of the challenging situation. Those who are crossing are asked to have documents ready and to be as organized as possible," the MFA said.

" ask that those crossing show mutual respect and understanding to everyone at the border during this extremely challenging time," it added.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees earlier said that more than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have already fled to neighboring countries since the invasion began on Feb. 24.

Meanwhile, the MFA reiterated that discrimination based on race, skin color, or nationality has never been condoned and is not allowed in Ukraine, including when it comes to crossing the state border by foreign citizens.

"The Ukrainian government takes very seriously all accounts alleging unequal treatment... We continue to prioritize supporting foreign citizens to leave Ukraine as safely and as quickly as possible," it added.

According to the MFA, the government of Ukraine has assisted more than 130,000 foreigners in leaving the country, including 10,000 Indians, 2,500 Chinese, 1,700 Turkmen, and 200 Uzbek students.

The MFA also called on diplomatic missions of other countries to be more proactive in evacuating their nationals from the conflict zones and keeping regular contact with them.

It likewise urged all foreign governments to demand President Putin to immediately stop his war on Ukraine.

"Russian armed forces continue to shell Ukrainian cities in violation of the ceasefire agreement. This has a direct, negative impact on our ability to secure the safe evacuation of foreign citizens out of Ukraine," the MFA said.

"Russia’s armed aggression continues to result in the killing and maiming of innocent people, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and it continues to create obstacles for the safe departure of foreign citizens," it added.