Citing Missile Threat, American Embassy Calls on U.S. Citizens in Ukraine To Leave

The American Embassy in Kyiv is urging all U.S. citizens in Ukraine to “depart immediately,” citing the threat of Russian missile attacks, and also warned against entering the country. The security alert was posted on the embassy’s website on July 14, a day that saw Moscow step up its rocket attacks on various locations throughout Ukraine. In the most lethal, Russian forces launched missiles from a submarine in the Black Sea that killed 22 people in the central city of Vinnytsia.It was not immediately clear if the new embassy warning was made as result of that missile strike or because of information that other attacks could be imminent, but it appears to have been posted after the attack on Vinnytsia. Tragically for civilians caught in the crossfire — or deliberately targeted, as the Ukrainian authorities insist — Russia’s missile madness shows no sign of summer recess: At least 48 innocent people perished in a rocket attack in eastern Ukraine last week, and in recent days and hours additional strikes have targeted areas of Mykolaiv and Kharkiv. Ukraine’s military on Wednesday said it destroyed a Russian ammunition depot in the southern city of Nova Kakhovka, killing several Russian soldiers, in an attack apparently using American-supplied HIMARS mobile artillery rockets, the BBC reported. It was the second strike on the Russian-occupied area this week. These developments are likely what prompted the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, to say of the new warning for Americans to go, “The US Embassy in Ukraine forgot to add that Washington is transferring American weapons to the Kiev regime, the use of which provokes the prolongation of the conflict and the death of people.”According to the embassy, “The security situation throughout Ukraine continues to be violent and unpredictable due to ongoing military attacks by Russia, with active fighting in the country and uncertain safety conditions.” It urged American citizens “to depart immediately using privately available ground transportation options if it is safe to do so,” and said that those in Ukraine should “avoid large gatherings and organized events as they may serve as Russian military targets anywhere in Ukraine, including its western regions.” There are also instructions to follow “if you hear a loud explosion or if sirens are activated.”America’s embassy in Kyiv reopened in May after having closed three months prior — ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Kyiv has largely, though not entirely, been spared the brunt of rocket fire since Russian forces retreated from the capital region in early April, but the attack on Vinnytsia, a city not in the embattled eastern Donbas but south and west of Kyiv, underscores the fragility of the security situation almost everywhere in Ukraine.

Citing Missile Threat, American Embassy Calls on U.S. Citizens in Ukraine To Leave

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