State Department 'urges' Americans to leave Ukraine: 'Conditions may deteriorate without warning'
The United States Department of State issued a security alert through its embassy in Kyiv on Tuesday strongly recommending that American nationals immediately leave Ukraine as fears swell of imminent Russian attacks on municipal targets.
"The Department of State has information that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days. Russian strikes in Ukraine pose a continued threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure," the State Department said. "The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Ukraine now using privately available ground transportation options if it is safe to do so."
The extraordinary advisory was unambiguously ominous pertaining to the potential hazards to human life.
READ MORE: Fears grow over Russia planning a 'massive missile attack' on Ukrainian Independence Day: report
"The security situation throughout Ukraine is highly volatile and conditions may deteriorate without warning. U.S. citizens should remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness," it declared, adding:
If you hear a loud explosion or if sirens are activated, immediately seek cover.
If in a home or a building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest exterior walls, windows, and openings; close any doors and sit near an interior wall, away from any windows or openings.
If you are outdoors, immediately seek cover in a hardened structure; if that is not possible, lie down and cover your head with your hands.
Be aware that even if the incoming missile or drone is intercepted, falling debris represents a significant risk.
After the attack, stay away from any debris, and monitor major news outlets for official guidance.
Concerns accelerated last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be planning a major offensive to mark Ukrainian Independence Day on August 24th, which coincides with the six-month anniversary of the commencement of Putin's "special military operation."
Continued shelling at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station – the largest fission plant on the European continent – is a major ongoing source of anxiety inside and outside of Ukraine. Officials in Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged blame for the bombardments, which had claimed their first confirmed casualty on Tuesday morning.
That news was accompanied by an announcement from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry that "elevated radiation levels" had been detected in the area surrounding Zaporizhzhia.
"These are places where ash is stored, which is formed during the operation of thermal power plants. This waste has a high concentration of toxic substances and a level of radiation that is at least 2.5 times higher than the natural background. When drying, they form dust that can move over considerable distances," the agency stated. "As a result of mortar strikes on ash pits, clouds of dust are formed, which are blown by the wind on the outskirts of Energodar. Monitoring of the radiation background, which is carried out near the nuclear plant, indicates an increase in the level of radiation. The occupiers are trying to present these data as the results of mythical 'strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.'"
The Daily Beast noted that "Ukrainian authorities have made clear they are bracing for fresh missile strikes as the country celebrates Independence Day on Wednesday. Large public gatherings were banned in the capital ahead of the holiday, and government workers were reportedly ordered to work from home all week."
Even though Zaporizhzhia's reactors and spent fuel storage tanks are heavily fortified, prolonged disruptions to its power supply could endanger the critical systems that keep radioactive waste in check. The consequences of a disaster, whether willful or accidental, could dwarf the catastrophic contamination that occurred on April 26th, 1986 at Chernobyl, located near the abandoned city of Pripyat, which rendered 2,600 square kilometers of Ukraine and Belarus uninhabitable for centuries.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told his nation that while "there is a threat" that "if they hit us, they will receive a powerful response."
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also stressed that the intentional targeting of Zaporizhzhia would be "suicidal."
READ MORE: Ukraine is 'ready and able' to defeat Russia: Ukrainian foreign minister
