The Greek Embassy in Kyiv will be closed today, Wednesday, November 20th, for fear of a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, following President Joe Biden’s decision to permit the use of ATACMS long-range missiles inside Russia and the subsequent launch of six ballistic missiles at a military facility in the region of Bryansk by Ukraine yesterday.
“The Embassy of Greece, for security reasons, will remain closed to the public today. Please avoid traveling and stay in safe areas,” a relevant announcement read, according to public broadcaster ERT correspondent Kostas Onisenko.
Earlier, the U.S. had announced the closure of its embassy in Kyiv following intelligence about a major Russian airstrike on Ukraine.
Specifically, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine issued a statement reading:
“The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received specific information regarding a potential significant airstrike on November 20. As a precaution, the Embassy will remain closed, and Embassy staff have been instructed to shelter in place. The U.S. Embassy urges American citizens to be prepared to shelter immediately if an air raid alert is announced.”
Global concern of a possible direct conflict between the two nuclear powers has grown after Russian President Vladimir Putin approved an updated nuclear doctrine that allows the country to retaliate with nuclear weapons against Ukraine if it uses weapons of Western nuclear powers to strike inside Russia.
As stated by Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian president, Putin signed a decree on Tuesday expanding Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which includes the possibility of considering the use of nuclear weapons.
According to the revised guidelines, the Kremlin may deploy nuclear weapons in response to an attack on its territory by Kyiv using conventional Western arms.
The new doctrine permits a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack against Russia by any nation supported by a nuclear power.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it shot down five of the six ballistic missiles lobbed against Russia.
