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.
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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