The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv closed its doors on Wednesday out of “an abundance of caution,” as it warned that a potentially “significant” air strike may be coming.
“The U.S. Embassy recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced,” the embassy said in an update.
The embassy says employees have been instructed to shelter in place, telling Americans in the country to be ready to scramble for cover.
“The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20,” the embassy says in a statement posted on its website.
“The US Embassy recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.”
The British government has now said it is examining the security situation for its diplomats in Kyiv “incredibly closely”.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle told Times Radio: “I’m not going to share details at the moment of operational matters that are on the ground in Kyiv.
“What we can reassure you is that we are looking at the situation incredibly closely.
“We have very good relationships with the government in Kyiv and with the United States. We will do everything we can to keep British citizens safe.” He added that the war “could be brought to an end instantly, if Vladimir Putin himself decided to de-escalate, rather than continually escalate the circumstances around this conflict”.
Yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer vowed to continue support for Ukraine despite “irresponsible” nuclear rhetoric from Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells Russia’s TASS state news agency that a special emergency hotline between the Kremlin and White House, created after the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, is not currently in use.
On Tuesday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed an order expanding its nuclear doctrine after Ukraine used US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for an attack on a Russian military facility.