The United States has closed its embassy in Kyiv due to the threat of a “potential significant air attack” and urged Americans in Ukraine to be “ready to swiftly seek shelter.”
The warning comes after Ukraine used American-made Army Tactical Missile Systems to strike targets inside Russia on Tuesday.
“The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20,” the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs said in a statement.
The statement, posted to the embassy’s website, continued, “Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place.”
“The U.S. Embassy recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.”
The embassy recommends that Americans monitor local media for updates, identify shelter locations before any air alert, immediately take shelter if an air alert is announced, and follow the directions of Ukrainian officials and first responders in the event of an emergency.
On Sunday, Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use the Tactical Missile Systems to strike targets inside Russia. The missile systems have a range of approximately 190 miles and carry a 500-pound “blast fragmentation warhead.”
Reuters reports:
Russia had been warning the West for months that if Washington allowed Ukraine to fire U.S., British and French missiles deep into Russia, Moscow would consider those NATO members to be directly involved in the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in October that Moscow was working on different ways to respond if Washington approved Ukrainian strikes with U.S.-made weapons deep into Russia.
On Tuesday, Putin lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks, with nuclear risks rising amid the highest tensions between Russia and West in more than half a century.
After news broke of Biden’s authorization, Donald Trump Jr. warned that the Biden administration is trying to spark World War III before his father takes office.
The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives.
Gotta lock in those $Trillions.
Life be damned!!! Imbeciles! https://t.co/ZzfwnhBxRh— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 17, 2024
In a post to X, Trump Jr. wrote:
The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives.
Gotta lock in those $Trillions.
Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!
Trump has promised to limit the amount of American support being provided to Ukraine in hopes of winding down the war.
