On November 20, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed after receiving warnings of a potential significant airstrike. Embassy employees were instructed to shelter in place, and Americans in Ukraine were advised to follow local authorities’ guidance and stay informed through local media. This closure coincided with similar actions from the Italian and Greek embassies, though the British Embassy remained open.
The warning came shortly after Russia reported that Ukraine had used U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) in a strike on the Bryansk region of Russia. Moscow claimed that five of six missiles were intercepted, but one missile’s debris caused a fire at a military facility, which was swiftly extinguished without casualties. The White House has not confirmed whether Ukraine was authorized to use U.S. missiles on Russian soil, but anonymous sources suggest President Biden approved their use, despite earlier opposition to deep strikes into Russia.
Amid rising tensions, Russian President Putin signed an updated nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for nuclear weapon use. The new doctrine states that any attack on Russia using conventional missiles supplied by a nuclear power will be seen as a joint attack. The U.S. dismissed concerns about the doctrine, saying it had been anticipated. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Western nations of escalating the conflict by providing military support to Ukraine, claiming that it changes the nature of their involvement in the war.
Also read: Texas Offers Land for Deportation Centers as Trump Pushes Mass Deportation Plan
