Spain, Italy, and Greece have followed the United States in closing their embassies in Kyiv after what has been described as a “significant attack” threat from Russia. Washington claims to have received “specific information” about a possible strike, and advised embassy staff to be ready to seek refuge in secure locations. The U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs stated the embassy in Kyiv was closing “out of an abundance of caution.”
France and the United Kingdom have opted to keep their diplomatic missions in the capital open. French citizens in Ukraine have been urged to exercise caution, while the UK has said the situation is “under constant review.” Germany’s embassy remains open in a limited capacity, with officials adding they would take “appropriate measures if the situation changes.”
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has accused Russia of launching a “massive information-psychological attack” against the country, distributing fake messages about a possible missile strike.
The developments come hours after Ukraine fired several U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles into Russian territory for the first time, on the thousandth day of the conflict. Ukrainian officials reported that a Russian military command post had been “successfully struck” in Russia’s Belgorod region, approximately 168 km from the border.
On Sunday, outgoing U.S. President Biden granted Ukraine permission to use the weapons to strike targets inside Russia, allegedly in response to the deployment of thousands of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on Russia’s eastern flank. Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, has warned that the move by NATO allies “will not go unpunished.”
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Western governments close embassies in Kyiv after U.S. attack warning
cgtn.com
