The government of the United States is urging Americans living in Ukraine to leave it immediately, in the angst that Russia is taking steps to launch attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the next few days.
A security alert on the embassy's website said, "The US Embassy urge US citizens to depart Ukraine now using privately available ground transportation options if it is safe to do so.”
Warning the US citizens about the security situation throughout Ukraine, they marked it as ‘highly volatile’ and said, ‘conditions may deteriorate without warning.’
The renewed US warning comes as Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine approaches the six month mark on Wednesday and follows similar warnings, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials that Moscow may carry out intense attacks, including missile strikes, to coincide Ukraine's Independence Day on Wednesday.
"We must all be aware that this week Russia could try to do something particularly ugly, something particularly vicious," Zelensky also said in a video message at the weekend.
In Kyiv, the city military administration issued a ban on all big gatherings between Monday and Thursday, saying "it is forbidden to hold mass events, peaceful meetings, rallies and other events related to a large gathering of people."
Last week, the State Department said it summoned Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov to a meeting so the United States "could warn Russia against any escalation of its war on Ukraine," a department spokesperson said Monday.
This included calling on Russia to "cease all military operations at or near Ukraine's nuclear facilities and to return full control of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant to Ukraine," the official added.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque