U.S. State Dept urges Americans still in Ukraine to leave country immediately - AP

WASHINGTON. Aug 23 (Interfax) - The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. embassy in Kyiv have urged American citizens still in Ukraine to depart the country immediately, The Associated Press (AP) said.

According to the report, the alert has been issued following the State Department's warning that Russia may be stepping up efforts to launch strikes.

In its alert, the Department of State instructs Americans still in Ukraine how to act if they hear the sounds of explosions or if sirens are activated.

The alert is based on U.S. intelligence community findings that were declassified on Monday, according to the AP report.

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