Martin Harris has been appointed Ambassador to Ukraine in succession to Melinda Simmons.

As announced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Martin Harris will replace Melinda Simmons as ambassador. Harris will take up his appointment in September 2023.

Melinda Simmons has been heading Britain's diplomatic mission in Ukraine since 2019 and will move to another position within the diplomatic service in a few months.

Martin Harris was previously in Kyiv from 2003 to 2008 where he was Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General.

From 2010 to 2014, he was the ambassador to Romania, and from 2014 to 2017, he served as Deputy Head of Mission in Moscow. For the past five years, Harris has been heading the Directorate for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the British Foreign Office.

"II am delighted to be returning to Ukraine to lead our Embassy’s vital work in supporting the Ukrainian government and people as they defend their country and our common values. TThe UK’s relationship with Ukraine has never been stronger, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," Harris said on the occasion of his appointment.

During her years in Ukraine, Melinda Simmons actively learned the Ukrainian language. The ambassador also actively uses Twitter, where she shares not only about her work but also about her everyday life in Kyiv amid the full-scale war.

Among other things, Melinda Simmons showed how she arranged her bed in the hallway during air raids and shared that she relieves stress near a punching bag.