The United States has temporarily shut its embassy in Kyiv due to “specific information of a potential significant air attack” and has advised its citizens in Ukraine to be prepared to seek shelter quickly.
This unusual warning follows Ukraine’s recent use of U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory, coinciding with the war’s 1,000th day and new permissions granted by the outgoing Biden administration.
In a statement on the embassy’s website, the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Affairs noted, “Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will be closed, and embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place.”
They also recommended that U.S. citizens in Ukraine be ready to immediately take cover if an air alert is declared.
The decision comes in the wake of a devastating Russian attack on Sunday, during which 120 missiles and 90 drones targeted Ukraine’s power grid, resulting in significant damage and seven fatalities.
This assault has raised concerns about the resilience of Ukraine’s already weakened energy infrastructure.
The embassy urged American citizens to stock up on water, food, and essential medications in preparation for potential power and water outages resulting from Russian strikes.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Security Council’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, indicated that Russia is poised for further airstrikes, highlighting the buildup of missiles for planned attacks on Ukraine.
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He stated, “The Russians have been stockpiling missiles for a series of attacks for months, including Kh-101 missiles, as well as Kalibrs and ballistic missiles.”
Russia has warned the West for months that if the U.S. allows Ukraine to use missiles from NATO countries to strike deep into Russian territory, it would consider those nations directly involved in the conflict.
In October, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow was exploring various responses should Washington approve such strikes.
Amid escalating tensions with the West, Putin recently lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a wider range of conventional attacks, further increasing nuclear risks during this period of heightened conflict.
