US Embassy In Kyiv Closed Amid Airstrike Warning As Russia Revises Nuclear Doctrine

The US embassy in Ukraine's Kyiv has been closed for Wednesday following a warning of a potential airstrike, according to an official statement from Washington.

The US Department of State Consular Affairs said, "Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will be closed, and embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place."

The embassy also advised American citizens in the region to be prepared to take shelter immediately should an air alert be issued.

This warning comes a day after Ukraine used US-made ATACMS missiles to target deep inside Russia, with support from the outgoing Biden administration's new military aid.

US President Joe Biden had reportedly authorised the use of long-range missiles supplied by the US to Ukraine, aiming to assist Kyiv in its defence while attempting to avoid further escalating the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been urging the Biden administration for some time to lift restrictions on the use of US-made missiles in the war against Russia, calling it a key component of his "Victory Plan" for Ukraine.

After reports emerged of Biden's approval, Zelenskyy stated, "Strikes are not carried out with words and neither are such things announced. Missiles will speak for themselves."

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised changes to Moscow's nuclear doctrine. The updated policy broadens the conditions under which Russia could use nuclear weapons.

Russia has been warning the US and Western countries for months about the dangers of allowing Ukraine to launch Western-made missiles into Russian territory, stating that such actions would be considered as direct involvement of NATO members in the war in Kyiv.

Under the revised nuclear policy, Russia now considers any aggression from a non-nuclear state, particularly one supported by a nuclear power, as a coordinated attack on Moscow, and will retaliate accordingly.

The new policy also permits the use of nuclear weapons in response to significant conventional attacks on Russia, including drone strikes.

(With inputs from Reuters)