The United States State Department issued a security alert on Monday, saying that Russia is preparing to undertake strikes against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and government buildings in the coming days.
The US Embassy in Kyiv has encouraged all American citizens still in Ukraine to leave immediately. According to a US individual familiar with the material, the State Department issued the caution after the US intelligence community declassified a conclusion on Monday that found Russia will progressively attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. The official was not allowed to publicly remark on the discovery and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Official: Russia Plans Strikes on Ukraine Infrastructures
The new information comes as Russia's deadly invasion of Ukraine approaches the six-month milestone on Wednesday, which also happens to be Ukraine's independence day from the Soviet Union. President Joe Biden discussed concerns about shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday, and called for the United Nations nuclear watchdog to visit the plant, according to Independent.
Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian ultra-nationalist Alexander Dugin, was killed in a vehicle explosion over the weekend, prompting some Russian nationalists to urge for further strikes in Ukraine. Russia has accused Ukrainians for Dugina's death, while Ukraine believes it was caused by Russian infighting.
According to the FSB, the killing was carried out by a Ukrainian citizen named Natalya Vovk, who then escaped to Estonia. Ms Vovk came in Russia in July with her 12-year-old daughter and leased an apartment in the same building as Dugina in order to shadow her.
It was claimed that she and her daughter were at a nationalist celebration attended by Mr. Dugin and his daughter before the murder. Meanwhile Ukrainian Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the fighting has killed 9,000 Ukrainian servicemen. The UN estimates that 5,587 people have been killed in Russian airstrikes. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the world is in a "maximum moment of danger" in terms of nuclear risk, as per Politico.
Ukraine Retricts Public Gatherings Ahead of Independence Day
The threat prompted Kyiv to prohibit public celebrations of Ukraine's liberation from Soviet domination this week. In other events, the Ukrainian military said on Monday that it had destroyed a strategically important bridge in the Russian-occupied Kherson region.
The conflict between the two countries had lasted six months as of this week. Other regions have also limited public gatherings, like Kharkiv, where Mayor Ihor Terekhov ordered an extension of a nightly curfew from 4 pm to 7 am till Thursday.
Regional governor Vitaliy Kim said officials planned a precautionary order for locals to work from home on Tuesday and Wednesday and asked people not to assemble in large numbers in the port of Mykolaiv, near Russian-held territory to the south.
Ukraine reported Russia launched missiles into numerous cities north and west of Europe's largest nuclear power facility, which was taken by Russian soldiers early after their invasion in February. Artillery and rocket firing near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor complex on the Dnipro River's south bank has prompted calls for the region to be demilitarized, Sky News reported.
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