The US government has shut down its embassy in Kyiv today with a warning to American citizens to “immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.” This comes amid fears Russia could launch an air attack.
The embassy said it would temporarily close its doors amid concerns Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an attack against the Ukrainian capital. It comes just days after outgoing US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to launch long-range missile attacks into Russian territory.
In an X Twitter post, the US State Department said: ” Ukraine : The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv received specific information of a potential significant air attack on Nov 20. The Embassy will be closed and recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.”
The embassy announced on its websit e the move was “out of an abundance of caution.” Embassy employees have been told to shelter in place.
According to the embassy, people in the Ukrainian capital should carry out the following actions:
- Monitor local media for updates
- Identify shelter locations in advance of any air alert
- Immediately take shelter if an air alert is announced
- Follow the directions of Ukrainian officials and first responders in the event of an emergency
The Kremlin this week warned the US and its allies that Biden’s move to approve long-range weapon attacks into Russia could lead to World War III. Russian politician Maria Butina, a key ally of Putin, previously said: “These guys, Biden’s administration, [are] trying to escalate the situation to the maximum while they still have power and are still in office.
“I have a great hope that [Donald] Trump will overcome this decision if this has been made because they are seriously risking the start of World War Three which is not in anybody’s interest.” Vladimir Dzhabarov, another Russian politician and Putin ally said: “This is a very big step towards the start of World War III.”
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