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US closes embassy in Kyiv over potential Russian air attack

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The United States closed its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, after officials received information about a possible air attack. This signals another twist in the escalation in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

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The embassy released a one-paragraph statement saying it was closing after it received specific information of a potential significant air attack on Nov. 20. The embassy instructed employees to shelter in place and be prepared in case an air alert is announced.

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The message didn’t mention Russia by name. However, the Kremlin’s press secretary is quoted as saying the embassy closure is “about the course of the special military operation,” which is Russia’s formal term for its war with Ukraine.

This latest news comes after Russia accused Ukraine of firing American-made long-range missiles into Russia on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Russia said it intercepted five and destroyed a sixth.

Neither Ukraine nor the United States has commented on that Russian claim. However, the Russian foreign minister called the apparent attack an escalation by the West.

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. He said the Kremlin may use nuclear weapons in the event of a critical threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as ally Belarus.

All of this comes after the Biden administration permitted Ukraine to begin using long-range missiles for strikes on Russia late last weekend.

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[Craig]

THE UNITED STATES ON WEDNESDAY CLOSED ITS EMBASSY IN KYIV UKRAINE SIGNALING YET ANOTHER TWIST AS THE ESCALATION IN THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE CONTINUES. 

THE EMBASSY SAID IN A ONE PARAGRAPH STATEMENT THAT IT WAS CLOSING OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION AFTER IT RECEIVED SPECIFIC INFORMATION OF A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT AIR ATTACK ON NOVEMBER 20TH.   THE EMBASSY INSTRUCTED  EMPLOYEES TO SHELTER IN PLACE AND BE PREPARED IN THE EVENT AN AIR ALERT IS ANNOUNCED.

THE MESSAGE DID NOT MENTION RUSSIA BY NAME. HOWEVER, THE KREMLIN’S PRESS SECRETARY IS QUOTED AS SAYING THE EMBASSY CLOSURE IS “ABOUT THE COURSE OF THE SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION”,  WHICH IS RUSSIA’S FORMAL TERM FOR ITS WAR WITH UKRAINE. 

THIS LATEST NEWS COMES AFTER RUSSIA ACCUSED UKRAINE OF FIRING A HALF-DOZEN AMERICAN MADE LONG-RANGE MISSILES INTO THE RUSSIAN BORDER REGION ON TUESDAY.  RUSSIA SAYS IT INTERCEPTED FIVE AND DESTROYED A SIXTH. 

NEITHER UKRAINE NOR THE UNITED STATES HAS COMMENTED ON THAT RUSSIAN CLAIM, BUT THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CALLED THE APPARENT ATTACK “AN ESCALATION BY THE WEST. 

ALSO TUESDAY, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN LOWERED THE THRESHOLD FOR THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.  IT SAYS THE KREMLIN MAY USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE EVENT OF A CRITICAL THREAT TO ITS SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, AS WELL AS ALLY BELARUS. 

THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE CHIEF WEIGHED-IN SAYING ATTEMPTS BY INDIVIDUAL NATO ALLIES TO PARTICIPATE IN PROVIDING FOR POSSIBLE LONG-RANGE STRIKES WITH WESTERN WEAPONS DEEP INTO RUSSIAN TERRITORY WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED. “  ALL OF THIS COMES AFTER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, LATE LAST WEEKEND, GAVE PERMISSION TO UKRAINE TO BEGIN USING THE LONG RANGE MISSILES FOR STRIKES ON RUSSIA.  FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES  DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS AP