The State Department called on Americans to leave Ukraine: on the eve of Independence Day, brutal attacks from Russia are expected

The U.S. government is urging Americans in Ukraine to leave the country immediately, warning that Russia is stepping up efforts to strike civilian infrastructure and government facilities ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day, reports CNN.

Photo: IStock

The August 24th anniversary - 31 years since Ukraine severed ties with the Soviet Union - also marks six months since Russia's unprovoked invasion of the country.

«The US Embassy calls U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine now using private ground transportation options if it is safe to do so, the security service said in a statement on the embassy's website. “The security situation across Ukraine is extremely fragile and conditions could deteriorate without warning.”

On the subject: A group of lawyers is looking for money from sanctioned Russians to hand over to Ukrainians

The renewed U.S. warning follows similar warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials that Moscow could launch heavy strikes, including missiles, around August 24.

Additional security information:

• If you hear a loud explosion or sirens go off, seek cover immediately.
• If you are in a house or building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest external walls, windows, and openings; close all doors and sit near an interior wall, away from windows and openings.
• If you are outdoors, immediately seek shelter in a sturdy structure; if this is not possible, lie down and cover your head with your hands.
• Be aware that even if an incoming missile or drone is intercepted, falling debris poses a significant risk.
• After the attack, stay clear of any debris and follow official directions from major news outlets.

Actions to be taken:

• Know the location of your nearest shelter or shelter.
• Follow instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately in the event of mortar and/or rocket attack.
• Regularly follow local and international news and social media news channels.
• Make sure your travel documents are valid and easily accessible.
• Visit web page U.S. Embassy in Kyiv for safety warnings for U.S. citizens.
• Review your personal security plans and always have a contingency plan ready that is independent of US government assistance.
• Get a COVID vaccine to make your journey easier.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Registration Program (STEP) State Department. Enrolling in the STEP program allows you to receive the latest security updates and makes it easier for the US Embassy to contact you in an emergency.
• Check back regularly for current travel advice on website Department of State. Read information on Ukraine. For more information, see "Traveler checklist» on the Department of State website.
• Read what the State Department can and what can't do in times of crisis.

“We all need to be aware that this week Russia may be trying to do something particularly ugly, something particularly vicious,” Zelensky said in a video message over the weekend.

The government of Ukraine warned citizens to be "extremely careful" on 23 and 24 August.

“There is an increased threat of rocket attacks and other provocations, both inside and outside the country,” said Andriy Yusov, spokesman for the Military Intelligence Service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
“They are crazy about dates and symbols, so it would be quite logical to be on the lookout and be prepared for the fact that Ukraine will be attacked on Independence Day. Ukraine is ready for this,” he continued.

“Air Raid is a serious signal that everyone must reckon with. Especially on August 23 and 24, these are not just words, you need to be especially careful, ”added Yusov.

In Kyiv, the city military administration imposed a ban on all mass events from August 22 to 25, stating that "mass events, peaceful meetings, rallies and other events associated with large gatherings of people are prohibited."

The head of the Kyiv military administration, General Nikolai Zhirnov, said that the order was introduced so that the security forces could "timely respond to the threat of missile and bomb attacks by the troops of the Russian Federation on decision-making centers, military facilities, defense industry facilities, critical infrastructure facilities and nearby residential areas" .

Last week, the State Department said it had summoned Russia's ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, to a meeting so the United States "could warn Russia against any escalation of war with Ukraine," a department official said Aug. 22.

This included calling on Russia to "cease all military operations at or near Ukrainian nuclear facilities and return full control of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant to Ukraine," the official added.

The city of Nikopol, across the river from the occupied plant, came under artillery fire on August 23 on Ukraine's State Flag Day, a local official said.

The head of the Nikopol regional military administration, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, warned local residents to avoid mass gatherings, open areas and infrastructure until August 25.

Kyiv and Moscow have launched a barrage of accusations against each other over security and military activities at and around the nuclear power plant, Europe's largest nuclear complex. But the lack of independent access to the plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops since March, makes it impossible to check what is happening there.

Recent satellite imagery of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant taken by Maxar Technologies shows no signs of "systematic shelling", despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims that the Ukrainian military has repeatedly struck at the facility.

This week, the tension in the war has risen sharply due to Death of Daria Dugina, a Russian political commentator and daughter of the well-known ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin.

Russia blamed Ukrainian intelligence services for her murder, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

“The murder of journalist Darya Dugina was solved, it was prepared by the Ukrainian special services, a citizen of Ukraine,” TASS reports, citing the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), which named the woman responsible and said that she fled to Estonia after the attack.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York.

Ukraine denies any involvement in the murder of Dugina, calling the claims of the FSB a fiction.

Dugina, editor of a Russian disinformation website, died after a bomb planted in the car she was driving exploded on the evening of August 20 on the outskirts of Moscow.

Dugin's father, Alexander Dugin, is a prominent Russian nationalist who is credited with being the architect or "spiritual mentor" of Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

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