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The State Department said on Thursday that “military action may commence at any time and without warning,” as it reissued an advisory urging Americans not to travel to Ukraine with its starkest language yet. A military incursion would also “severely impact” the U.S. Embassy’s ability to help Americans leave Ukraine, the department said. In October, Ned Price, a State Department spokesman, estimated that about 6,600 U.S. citizens were living in Ukraine.

Mr. Biden had previously made clear that he had no intention of sending American troops to defend Ukraine, stating pointedly in early December that the military option was “not on the table,” and this week, he warned Americans that “it would be wise” to leave the country. But Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, avoided directly answering a question Wednesday on whether the United States would assist Americans “stranded” after an invasion.

“The United States does not typically do mass evacuations,” Ms. Psaki said in a briefing. “There are a range of means that individuals and Americans can depart from Ukraine, and we’ve been encouraging them to do exactly that.”

Satellite images from Wednesday and Thursday showed new Russian forces and equipment still arriving on three sides of Ukraine. Senior Biden administration officials told lawmakers this month that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had assembled everything he would need to undertake an invasion that could take an enormous human toll, including the potential deaths of 25,000 to 50,000 civilians.

Among the most aggressive actions Mr. Putin could take if he invades is to quickly surround and capture Kyiv, the capital. But officials have stressed that U.S. intelligence analysts still do not think Mr. Putin has yet decided whether to invade.