U.S. intelligence has warned that Russia is likely to amp up its efforts to attack civilians, civilian infrastructure, and government buildings in Ukraine.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is about to begin its seventh month, and Ukraine is about to celebrate its Independence Day holiday tomorrow.
The U.S. government declassified an intelligence warning today to ensure that the officials’ concerns about the threat reached a broad audience.
“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,” the alert said. “Russian strikes in Ukraine pose a continued threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
Following that declassification, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a security alert and once more urged American citizens to leave Ukraine.
The warnings come as U.S. officials and Ukrainian officials have been increasingly concerned about a renewed Russian offensive, potentially timed for Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Russia has not avoided civilian infrastructure so far in the war. Civilian infrastructure that has been struck by Russia includes rail lines, apartment buildings, shopping malls, and auditoriums. The expert analysis says that some of Russia’s attacks have been part of broad artillery barrages, while others have been targeted strikes that missed their intended marks.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has also been warning his citizens to be extra cautious at this time. More attacks on civilians are not the only concern. U.S. and Ukrainian officials are worried Russia may use the milestone to start show trials.
Videos are emerging of iron cages being built on the stage of the philharmonic theater in Mariupol. There is a growing fear that comes Wednesday the Russians will use the day of Ukraine’s celebration to take Ukrainian prisoners of war into the theatre and try them as terrorists.
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