Biden says U.S. believes Russia will attack Ukraine in ‘coming days’

President Joe Biden said on Friday that the U.S. believes Russia will attack the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, in the coming days, citing their own intelligence gathering.

“We have reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week, in the coming days,” said Biden.

Biden’s remarks came after the military intelligence of Ukraine announced hours earlier that it has information that Russian special forces have planted explosives at a number of social infrastructure facilities in separatist-controlled Donetsk.

Donetsk is located in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

“These measures are aimed at destabilizing the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of our state and creating grounds for accusing Ukraine of terrorist acts,” the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said in a tweet.

2:14 Russia accused of false-flag operations amid heavy shelling in eastern Ukraine

The service urged Donetsk residents not to leave their homes and not to use public transport.

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Biden praised Ukrainian forces for not allowing Russian troops to bait them into war.

“For example, the shelling of a Ukrainian kindergarten yesterday, which Russia has falsely asserted was carried out by Ukraine,” Biden said. “We also continue to see more and more disinformation being pushed out to the Russian public.”

4:23 Russia-Ukraine standoff: U.S. believes Russia will attack Kyiv in ‘coming days,’ Biden says

He said that disinformation includes “Russian-backed separatists claiming that Ukraine is planning to launch a major offensive attack in the Donbass.”

Biden’s administration has said a diplomatic solution remains possible if Russia chooses, but that Washington and its European allies are prepared to enact harsh punishments if Moscow opts to invade.

2:09 Poland prepares for thousands of refugees ahead of potential conflict in Ukraine

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that he “condemns Russia’s aggressive actions” and stressed the importance of a diplomatic solution. He said he spoke to Biden and other European leaders about the Russian military buildup of up to 150,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders.

— with files from the Associated Press and Eric Stober