The US government called on Americans in Ukraine to leave the country immediately, warning that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days.
“The US embassy urges US citizens to depart Ukraine now using available private ground transportation options if it is safe to do so,” said a security alert on the embassy website.
“The security situation throughout Ukraine is highly volatile and conditions can deteriorate without warning.”
The renewed US warning comes as Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine nears the six-month mark on Wednesday and follows similar warnings, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials, that Moscow may lead carried out intense attacks, including missile strikes, to coincide with Ukraine’s Independence Day on Wednesday.
“We all need to be aware that this week Russia might try to do something particularly ugly, something particularly vicious,” Zelensky said in a video message over the weekend.
In Kyiv, the city’s military administration issued a ban on all large gatherings between Monday and Thursday, saying “it is forbidden to hold mass events, peaceful gatherings, rallies and other events related to a large gathering of people.”