US Embassy in Ukraine Closes Over ‘Significant’ Attack Threat

Last updated on November 20th, 2024 at 08:56 am

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv closed down on Nov. 20 over concerns of a potentially significant attack.

“The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20,” the State Department said in a Wednesday travel advisory.

“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 advisory continues.

The advisory comes after reports emerged this weekend that President Joe Biden had granted Ukrainian forces permission to use long-range weapons to strike inside Russian territory. Moscow had repeatedly warned against such a policy change.

The Biden administration has yet to confirm the change in policy, but the reported change already appears to be having an escalatory impact on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

By Monday, Nov. 18, the Kremlin had announced it had updated its nuclear forces posture.

“An aggression against the Russian Federation and/or its allies of any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state will be regarded as their joint attack,” the revised Russia nuclear doctrine states.

Despite these warnings, Russia’s military reported Ukraine launched multiple U.S.-donated MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) at Russia’s Bryansk region on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

If Russian forces are now planning to strike the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv in retaliation for the alleged ATACMS strikes in Bryansk, it raises the likelihood of direct confrontation between the United States and Russia; two nuclear-armed powers.

These developments all come with just weeks to go in Biden’s administration, as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.

Trump has signaled he would prefer to quickly negotiate an end to the war.

In an interview with Fox News on Nov. 18, Rep. Mike Waltz—Trump’s pick for the role of national security adviser—said he wasn’t briefed ahead of time about the change in policy to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with U.S.-donated long-range weapons.

“It’s another step up the escalation ladder and nobody knows where this is going,” Waltz said.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung has told The Washington Post that the only official Trump team statements regarding Ukraine would come from Trump or his authorized spokespeople. The incoming president has yet to comment directly on the recent news surrounding Ukrainian strikes on Russia.