US Embassy in Kyiv issues security alert, urges Americans to heed air alarms and shelter

The diplomatic mission of the United States in Kyiv, Ukraine, has issued a warning to Americans, advising them to take air alarms seriously and seek shelter as needed. The reason for this caution is the possibility of a rapid deterioration in the security situation in the aftermath of an attempted drone attack on the Kremlin, which Russian officials have blamed on Kyiv.

The US Department of State issued a security alert about a “heightened threat of missile attacks” across Ukraine on Wednesday night, citing a “recent uptick in strikes across Ukraine and inflammatory rhetoric from Moscow.”. Earlier in the day, Russian officials warned of “retaliation” for Ukrainian drone attack on the Kremlin.

“Be aware that even if the incoming missile or drone is intercepted, falling debris represents a significant risk,” one of the US embassy’s safety tips emphasised.

The US diplomatic mission further added that any American still in Ukraine must have “a contingency plan that does not rely on US government assistance,” and should depart the country “when it is safe to do so”.

On Wednesday morning, the office of the Russian president's office announced that two small unmanned aircraft had been brought down near Vladimir Putin's working residence using electronic warfare measures. The Kremlin characterized the attack as a "preplanned terrorist action" by Ukrainian forces and an attempt on Putin's life.

Kiev has denied responsibility for the strike, while White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed on Wednesday that the US “is not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders”. 

Russian ally Kazakhstan calls on US to review sanctions policy

On Tuesday, Kazakh Ambassador to Washington Yerzhan Ashikbayev suggested that the United States and its European Union allies should reconsider their approach to imposing sanctions on third-party countries.

According to Ashikbayev, it is important for the US and its allies to treat all nations that abide by their sanctions policies fairly and with equal consideration for their interests.

"Kazakhstan remains fully transparent, with our American, European, and UK partners committed to ensuring sanctions compliance and equally not facilitating sanctions evasion,” Ashikbayev said at a Central Asian development conference hosted by the Washington-based Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute.

The US should ensure “equal and unbiased treatment to those countries that comply with sanctions policies, providing a level playing field for all stakeholders,” he suggested, adding that there are many cases that require the “special attention” of not only Western “sanctioning authorities” but also political decision-makers in Washington, London, and Brussels.

Ashikbayev pointed out that the West has imposed a variety of restrictions on many neighboring countries, which has impeded economic activity in the region.

“A quick look on the political map would reveal that Central Asia is encircled by sanctions-hit jurisdictions, and it is an extremely difficult issue for Central Asians, it is a matter of economic survival,” Ashikbayev said. He called on Western nations to “think of Central Asia and Kazakhstan in particular not only in purely legalistic terms but also understanding the broader context.”

The ambassador also warned that “the future of Central Asia is not in confrontation or affiliation with some of the Great Powers but rather in the synergy of those relations”.

Ashikbayev expressed his disapproval of the United States and Western countries for perceiving his nation solely through the lens of other regional interests, such as the Caspian energy policy or the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.

“It is high time [our partners] addressed this deficiency by developing a realistic Central-Asia-focused regional strategy,” he said. “Our vision in Kazakhstan and Central Asia is to be neither a chessboard nor a field for the Great Power contest but rather a space of cooperation and progress, a space of synergy.”

Astana plans to “pay the utmost attention to the development of constructive, predictable, and friendly relationships with both our immediate neighbors, such as Russia and China, but also with our distant partners, such as the US,” the ambassador said.

It is worth noting that Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a regional bloc of post-Soviet countries that includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. This union has a customs union and a functioning single market for goods, services, capital, and labor.

However, the United States and its European and other allies have imposed significant sanctions on Russia due to its military campaign in Ukraine, with a focus on its banking and financial sectors as well as other industries. The West has also issued warnings to third-party nations that provide assistance to Russia in circumventing sanctions, threatening them with secondary restrictions.