The United States closed its embassy in kyiv on Wednesday due to “specific information of a possible significant airstrike” and told its citizens in Ukraine to be prepared to seek refuge quickly.
The unusual warning came a day after Ukraine used US Atacms missiles to attack Russian territory, taking advantage of the permission recently granted by the outgoing Administration of US President Joe Biden on the 1,000th day of the war.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will remain closed and embassy workers are being ordered to take shelter,” the US Department of State Consular Affairs said in a statement posted on the website of the US embassy in kyiv.
“The US Embassy advises US citizens to be prepared to take shelter immediately in the event an air alert is announced.”
Russia attacked the Ukrainian power grid with 120 missiles and 90 drones on Sunday, which caused damage to the electrical system and killed seven people. This attack renewed fears about the durability of the ailing energy grid.
The embassy in kyiv urged American citizens in Ukraine to have stocks of water, food and other essential items, such as necessary medicines, in the event of a “possible temporary loss of electricity and water” caused by Russian attacks.
“Persistent Russian attacks targeting civilian infrastructure across Ukraine may lead to power outages, loss of heat, and disruption of municipal services,” he pointed out.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Combating Disinformation of the Security Council of Ukraine, stated that Russia is willing to carry out more air strikes, when commenting on the United States statement.
“Let me remind you that the Russians have been stockpiling missiles for months for a series of attacks against Ukraine. This includes Kh-101 missiles, which they continue to produce, as well as Kalibrs and ballistic missiles,” said.
Russia had been warning the West for months that, If Washington allowed Ukraine to fire American, British and French missiles into Russia, Moscow would consider those NATO members directly involved in the Ukrainian war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in October that Moscow would respond to Ukrainian attacks with American-made weapons inside Russia.
On Tuesday, Putin lowered the threshold for launching a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks, putting nuclear risks on the rise in the context of the highest tensions between Russia and the West in more than half a century.
