KYIV, UKRAINE – JANUARY 24: A view of the US Embassy on January 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. According to media reports, the embassy has ordered the families of the embassy staff to leave the country and also appealed to the American citizens in Ukraine to leave the country. Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine, raising international fears of a pending military strike. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
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The US closed its embassy in Kiev on Wednesday, warning it had “received specific information of a potentially significant airstrike” amid rising tensions with Russia.
American Embassy said in a statement that he is closing the building “out of an abundance of caution” and has instructed embassy employees to shelter in place.
“The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to be prepared to evacuate immediately in the event of an air alert,” it added.
Air strikes are a common occurrence in Kiev, as the Ukrainian capital faces frequent drone and missile attacks from Russia. But the latest warning comes amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, after reports on Sunday that the White House had authorized Ukraine to use US-made long-range missiles to strike targets on Russian soil. has been allowed.
On Tuesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had intercepted five US-made ATACMS missiles, and destroyed one, which Ukraine was using to attack its border region of Bryansk. Ukraine has not officially commented on the attack using long-range US-made missiles.
The Pentagon also declined to comment when asked about the development.
The attack drew a sharp response from Moscow, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling the move “an overreach” by the West.
A US-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) was fired at an undisclosed location on October 5, 2022, during a joint exercise between the US and South Korea.
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The Kremlin has repeatedly warned the West not to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons against its targets on Russian soil. On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin approved amendments to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, changing the parameters within which Moscow can use nuclear weapons.
The latest document now states that any aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state would be considered a joint attack.
It also noted that the Kremlin could use nuclear weapons in the event of a serious threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity — and to its ally Belarus — and that it saw the launch of ballistic missiles against Russia under those circumstances. which can be guaranteed. nuclear reactions.
