KYIV: The US embassy in Kyiv has warned of possible Russian attacks across Ukraine as the country prepares to mark 33 years of its independence from the Soviet Union on Saturday.
Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, earlier said that Russia had launched 9,600 missiles and 14,000 drones during strikes on Ukraine since it started its full-scale war in February 2022.
The US Embassy in a statement said it assesses that during the next several days and through the weekend there is an enhanced risk of Russian drone and missile attacks throughout Ukraine in connection with the country’s Independence Day on August 24.
For Ukrainians, Independence Day has taken a greater significance since the war between Russia and Ukraine started two years ago. The war has stirred patriotic feelings among many people across the country.
This year, the date falls more than two weeks after Ukraine conducted a surprise cross-border attack into Russia’s Kursk region. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow will deliver a befitting response to the Ukrainian incursion which he has described as a major provocation.
