The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (GUR) characterized as psychological warfare a particular message circulating in recent hours about a massive missile attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions, according to a statement shared on social media on Tuesday afternoon.

Shortly after air raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital and at least seven other regions, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s intelligence agency labeled the warning being spread by “messengers” on social media regarding an imminent Russian attack as “fake.” The message aims to sow fear and panic. This disinformation appears to have influenced diplomatic missions, prompting some countries to close their embassies in Kyiv today.

“There is a message being spread on social networks about the threat of a ‘particularly massive’ missile and bomb attack on Ukrainian cities today,” stated Kyiv’s top intelligence agency in an announcement. It added, “This message is fake and contains grammatical errors typically made by Russians in their psychological operations.”

“Russia is conducting a massive informational and psychological attack against Ukraine. Citizens are urged to trust information only from official sources and GUR representatives,” the Ukrainian agency stressed, highlighting that “the enemy, unable to subdue Ukrainians through force, resorts to measures of intimidation and psychological pressure on society. We ask you to remain vigilant. Do not ignore warning signals—it is safer to wait in a shelter.”

The United States, Greece, Italy, and Spain announced earlier today the closure of their embassies in Kyiv after receiving information about a potential large-scale Russian air attack, prompting other countries to follow suit.

Kyiv Criticizes Western Countries for Closing Their Embassies

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized today the decision by Western nations to shut their embassies in Kyiv due to the supposed risk of massive Russian strikes, arguing that this threat has remained constant since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.

“The threat of bombardments (…) is unfortunately an everyday reality for Ukrainians for more than a thousand days,” stated a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in an announcement. The spokesperson urged Western countries not to fuel “tension” by closing their embassies.