Kiev, 21 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The United States on Wednesday temporarily closed its embassy in Kiev amid concerns over a potential Russian attack. The embassy said it "received specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20."

The embassy was closed for most of the day "out of an abundance of caution." Late on Wednesday, US Ambassador Bridget Brink said that the embassy "resumed services."

"We continue to encourage U.S. citizens to remain vigilant, monitor official Ukrainian sources for updates, and be prepared to shelter in place if an air alert is announced," Brink said.

"We continue to encourage U.S. citizens to remain vigilant, monitor official Ukrainian sources for updates, and be prepared to shelter in place if an air alert is announced."

The embassy recommended US citizens in Kiev "be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced."

The Spanish, Italian and Greek embassies in the Ukrainian capital also announced that they would close to the public.

Ukrainian broadcasters reported, citing diplomatic sources, that a major attack with combat drones and ballistic missiles was expected.

While the US embassy regularly issues warnings of major air strikes, including in March and August this year, the closure represented an exceptional measure.

The warnings came after Kiev on Tuesday marked the 1,000th day since the conflict began, and as Washington moved to let Ukraine use ATACMS missiles against targets inside Russian territory.

According to US media reports, outgoing US President Joe Biden has expanded permission for Kiev to hit targets in Russia in response to the deployment of North Korean soldiers on Moscow's side.

Russia has said it views the move as an escalation and an entanglement of the United States and other Western countries in the war.

The stance was echoed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who on Wednesday condemned the decision.

"We not only consider this decision to be wrong, we also do not approve of it," the Turkish state news agency Anadolu cited Erdoğan as saying.

Photo: EPA