WASHINGTON — The United States is preparing to evacuate its embassy in Kiev after Western intelligence officials warn that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly imminent.

US officials say the State Department plans to announce Saturday morning that all US personnel at the embassy in Kiev will be required to leave the country. The Department did not comment.

Previously, the department had ordered the families of embassy staff in the Ukrainian capital to leave, but had left it to the discretion of non-essential staff to decide whether or not to leave. The new measure was taken at a time when Washington has increased its warnings about a possible invasion ordered by Moscow.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to comment on the matter, said that a limited number of US diplomats could be relocated to western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, a US ally. NATO, so that the United States can retain a diplomatic presence in the country.

The Pentagon announced Friday that it will send another 3,000 combat troops to Poland, joining the 1,700 already there, in a show of US commitment to NATO allies concerned about the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine.

The additional soldiers will be leaving Fort Bragg, North Carolina, over the next couple of days and should be in Poland next week. They are the remaining elements of an infantry brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division.

Their mission will be to train and provide a deterrent, but they will not engage in combat in Ukraine.

The announcement came shortly after Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to President Joe Biden, issued a public warning for all US citizens in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible. Sullivan said Russian President Vladimir Putin could give the order to launch an invasion of Ukraine at any time.

In addition to US troops stationed in Poland, some 1,000 US troops stationed in Germany are moving to Romania on a similar mission to support a NATO ally.

Also, 300 soldiers from an 18th Airborne Corps headquarters unit have arrived in Germany, led by Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla.

US soldiers will be engaged in training the host country’s forces, but will not enter Ukrainian territory for any reason.

The United States already has some 80,000 soldiers in different parts of Europe in permanent stations and in rotational deployments.

Categorized in: