The U.S. embassy in Ukraine has issued a warning about a “potential significant air attack,” urging its citizens to seek shelter immediately. This situation, which could have been avoided with stronger leadership, now sees the American embassy in Kyiv closed and diplomatic vehicles evacuating. The embassy’s message highlights the seriousness of the threat, yet we’re left questioning why this administration didn’t act sooner to prevent such chaos.
The embassy advises Americans in Ukraine to “identify shelter locations in advance of any air alert… Immediately take shelter if an air alert is announced.”
Ukraine: The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv received specific information of a potential significant air attack on Nov 20. The Embassy will be closed and recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced. https://t.co/ah0bpDfULK pic.twitter.com/m8cWXCXT2V
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) November 20, 2024
Meanwhile, Spain and Greece have also shut their embassies, and even the British government is contemplating closing theirs. British government minister Peter Kyle stated that they are evaluating the situation closely, emphasizing their commitment to keeping people safe. Why does it seem like other countries are more proactive than our own?
🇬🇷🇺🇦 The Greek Embassy in Kyiv is also closing today
Italy and USA announced closings as well. https://t.co/cItrAdjZcu pic.twitter.com/ndmV06bYVF
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) November 20, 2024
Air attacks on Ukrainian cities like Kyiv have become all too common during this 1,001-day conflict. Yet, Reuters describes this particular warning and the U.S.’s drastic evacuation measures as “unusual.” We’ve seen this before; when the war began in 2022, embassy staff temporarily relocated to Poland as Russia attempted a poorly executed capture of Ukrainian cities.
On Wednesday morning, air raids occurred across Ukraine, but the “significant air attack” mentioned by the embassy hasn’t materialized yet. Ukrainian state media reported that air defenses around Kyiv were activated early that morning, urging residents to remain sheltered until further notice.
Russia allegedly launched 122 Iranian-designed Shahed bomb drones, glide bombs, missiles, and other attacks overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Ukraine’s air defense reportedly shot down 56 drones and two missiles.
US shuts Kyiv embassy due to ‘potential significant air attack,’ tells Americans in Ukraine to be ready to seek shelter https://t.co/RkvTohBxMa pic.twitter.com/8XXOexzxKZ
— New York Post (@nypost) November 20, 2024
This “unusual” embassy closure follows closely after Ukraine launched its first U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missile into Russian territory. This shift in White House policy allowing direct attacks on Russia with American-supplied weapons has sparked dire warnings from Kremlin officials, who view these actions as acts of war by Washington. It’s about time we had a leadership that understood strength and deterrence instead of playing games with global security!