Western embassies are preparing a relocation plan from Kyiv, just in case
Western countries, amid an increase in Russian strikes on Kyiv, are preparing a plan for the possible evacuation of their embassies from the Ukrainian capital to Lviv or Poland. This was reported on October 2 by the British newspaper The Guardian, citing two high-ranking diplomats.
One of the publication's interlocutors stated that Russia aims to deprive Kyiv of electricity and other necessary resources, and the situation, according to his assessment, is rapidly deteriorating.
However, publicly, Western diplomats declare their intention to remain in Kyiv. They believe that the departure of embassies would be a propaganda success for Moscow and could create the impression that Ukraine has been left without support.
Since September, Russian troops have been attacking Kyiv almost around the clock with missiles and drones. Among the objects affected by the strikes are schools, hospitals, and data processing centers.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with the Financial Times that the Kremlin has intensified air strikes to intimidate the civilian population, force people to leave cities, and weaken Ukraine's ability to continue the war. According to him, the main targets of Russian strikes are Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian and European security officials familiar with intelligence information believe that Lviv, an important logistics hub near the Polish border, is also part of Russian plans.
On October 2, The New York Times reported that Ukraine intercepted a Russian document detailing a plan for strikes on the energy infrastructure of major Ukrainian cities ahead of winter. According to this information, the initial phase involves disabling substations near the western border, through which Ukraine receives electricity from Europe. The next stage is to damage hydroelectric power plants, and then to halt the operation of three active Ukrainian nuclear power plants, which provide a significant portion of the country's electricity.
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