US shuts embassy in Kyiv anticipating air attack, asks staff to take shelter

Russia Ukraine War: In a statement, the US embassy announced a temporary closure. US citizens in Ukraine were also advised to prepare for potential air raid alerts and take necessary precautions.

In Short

• US Embassy in Kyiv temporarily closes due to air attack threat
• US citizens in Ukraine warned of air raids, told to take precautions
• Warning comes after Ukraine launched US-supplied missiles into Russia

The US Embassy in Kyiv announced a temporary closure following specific intelligence of a potential large-scale air attack expected on November 20, amid fears of an escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will be closed, and embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place," the US Department of State’s Consular Affairs said in a statement.

The embassy also urged US citizens in Ukraine to prepare for potential air raid alerts and take necessary precautions.

The warning comes a day after Ukraine launched US-supplied ATACMS missiles into Russian territory, following new authorisation from outgoing President Joe Biden's administration. The strikes coincided with the 1,000th day of the war, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.

Russia promised an "appropriate" response in the wake of the missile attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in October vowed retaliation for Ukrainian attacks with Western-made weaponry, took a further step on Tuesday by lowering the threshold for a nuclear response to include a broader range of conventional attacks.

Russia has repeatedly cautioned Western nations against providing Ukraine with long-range missiles capable of hitting targets deep inside its territory. Moscow has warned that such actions could lead Russia to consider Nato members, including the US, Britain, and France, as direct participants in the war.

Meanwhile, Biden has agreed to give Ukraine anti-personnel land mines to bolster the country’s faltering war effort before Donald Trump returns to the White House in January next year.

The controversial move is seen as a bid to shore up Ukraine's defences as Russian troops accelerated their gains along the front line in the eastern Donbas region, advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion.

The Russian military launched a massive offensive involving an estimated 50,000 troops, including North Korean soldiers, against fortified Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region to reclaim Russian territory lost during Ukraine’s bold counteroffensive earlier this year.

Simultaneously, it is intensifying missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, targeting the country’s power grid in an effort to weaponise the winter cold for a third consecutive year.

Citing US officials, the Washington Post reported that the Biden administration is deeply concerned by Russia's battlefield progress in recent months, forcing it to find fresh ways to help Kyiv.

The long-range ATACMS missile gives Kyiv more power to reach military equipment, bases and personnel in Russian territory, while the provision of the mines will be instrumental in blunting the Russian ground assault, they said.