The warning comes one day after Russia said that Ukraine used U.S.-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike its territory.
The United States closed its embassy in Kyiv on Nov. 20 and warned American citizens in Ukraine to be ready to swiftly seek shelter after receiving “specific information of a potential significant air attack.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Embassy will be closed, and Embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place,” a statement published on the embassy’s official website stated.
The embassy also urged Americans in Ukraine to follow the directions of Ukrainian officials and first responders in the event of an emergency and to monitor local media.
The Italian and Greek embassies in Kyiv also shut to the public for the day. The British government said that its embassy in the city remained open.
The warning comes a day after Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported that Ukraine used U.S.-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike its territory.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Russian forces shot down five of six missiles fired at a military facility in the Bryansk region.
Fragments from one of the missiles hit the military facility, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished and caused no casualties or damage, according to the ministry.
“According to confirmed data, U.S.-made ATACMS [Army Tactical Missile Systems] … have been used,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
The White House has not yet confirmed whether Ukraine has been authorized to use U.S. weapons against targets in Russia, however, anonymous U.S. officials who spoke to media outlets said Biden authorized Ukraine to use the missiles to strike targets in Russia.
Biden, who is set to leave office in two months, has previously been opposed to the idea of allowing U.S. missiles to be used deep inside Russia.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that such a move by the United States would be tantamount to direct involvement in the conflict and would trigger a response.
