US and European Embassies in Kyiv Shut Down Over Potential Russian Large-Scale Air Attack on Ukraine

The US Embassy in Kyiv has issued a stark warning about a potential large-scale air attack targeting Ukraine on November 20.

Out of precaution, the Embassy will be closed for the day, and staff have been instructed to shelter in place. The Embassy also urged US citizens to be prepared to seek immediate shelter in the event of an air raid alert.

Similar steps have been taken by the Spanish, Italian, and Greek embassies in Kyiv, with them announcing closures for the day due to the heightened threat of a mass missile strike.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation , commented on the US Embassy’s alert.

“Regarding the US Embassy’s warning about a possible attack, let me remind you that Russians have been stockpiling missiles for months for a series of strikes on Ukraine. This includes Kh-101 missiles, which they continue to manufacture, as well as Kalibr cruise missiles and ballistic rockets,” Kovalenko said.

“Aviation and missile stockpiles at strategic aviation airfields and warehouses are ready in Russia. Also ships. This has been reported earlier,” he added.

Later, the US Embassy informed that its warning was not related to the Kremlin’s nuclear rhetoric.

“The closure of the embassy is related to air alerts, including the increased threat of a combined drone and missile attack, as happened recently. We continue to monitor the situation in cooperation with our Ukrainian partners,” the source said.

Previously, in the early hours of November 17, Russia conducted a large-scale attack on Ukraine, launching drones, cruise, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic weapons. Energy facilities across several regions were targeted, resulting in civilian casualties and significant infrastructure damage.