THE US Embassy in Kyiv has shut down as Ukraine braces for a huge Russian airstrike.
It comes a day after Ukraine used US-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory for the first time – and Moscow warned it would “react accordingly”.
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The US Embassy said it has received information about a “potential significant air attack” on Kyiv.
It said: “Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will be closed, and embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place.”
The embassy told US citizens to “be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced”.
The UK government is also examining the security situation for Brit diplomats in Kyiv “incredibly closely”.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle told Times Radio: “We have very good relationships with the government in Kyiv and with the United States. We will do everything we can to keep British citizens safe.
“But there’s just been no doubt this conflict has gone on for over 1,000 days now. It was caused by the illegal, unwarranted and unprovoked attack by Vladimir Putin.”
The British embassy in Kyiv has been operating a limited diplomatic function in recent months.
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that Moscow will respond to Ukraine’s strikes with US-made weapons deep into Russia.
And just days after the US approved Ukrainian use of its far-reaching rockets, Vlad signed a new doctrine to lower the bar for launching a nuclear strike.
Almost simultaneously, Ukrainian media reported the first use of the ATACMS missiles on Russian territory.
Ukraine’s military did not comment on the use of the weapons – but took responsibility for a blaze at a weapons depot in the city of Karachev, Bryansk, 70 miles over the border.
The Kremlin claimed Ukraine had fired six ATACMS – claiming they caused no serious damage.
It said it marked the crossing of a red line – officially putting nuclear retaliation on the table.
As tensions skyrocket, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that a special hotline in place to deal with crises between Moscow and Washington was not currently being used.
The hotline was set up in 1963 after the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 to allow direct communication between US and Russian leaders when the two Cold War superpowers came close to nuclear war.
Putin was left raging when US President Joe Biden finally approved use of the far-reaching rockets by Ukraine on Sunday.
His foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Moscow would “react accordingly” after Ukraine’s use of US-made missiles over the border.
He described the strike as a signal that Kyiv “wanted to escalate”.
And Putin puppet Dmitry Medvedev said it meant “World War Three”.
Russia has issued countless similar threats in the past – invoking fears of possible nuclear escalation in the West.
Sir Keir Starmer said Britain will not be cowed by Putin’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.
At the G20 summit in Brazil, he said: “This is irresponsible rhetoric coming from Russia and that is not going to deter our support for Ukraine.”
Asked about letting Ukraine use UK-made Storm Shadow missiles, Sir Keir said: “I’ve been doubling down in my clear message that we need to ensure Ukraine has what is needed for as long as needed to win this war against Putin.”
On Wednesday, Science Secretary Peter Kyle told Times Radio: “I’m not going to share details at the moment of operational matters that are on the ground in Kyiv.
“What you will what you can reassure you is that we are looking at the situation incredibly closely.
“We have very good relationships with the government in Kyiv and with the United States. We will do everything we can to keep British citizens safe.”
Alongside long-range missiles, Biden has also agreed to give Ukraine anti-personnel land mines in a bid to slow Russian troops, the BBC reports.
Overnight, Ukraine staged major new strikes in Russia as a major war command post in Belgorod region was seen going up in flames on Wednesday morning.
It was initially unclear if the command HQ was struck by a long-range missile supplied by the US, UK or France.
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