Link to Moscow has urged foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the Ukrainian capital, warning of further attacks on command centres and drone facilities. Kyiv has dismissed the threat as intimidation and called for stronger international pressure on RussiaMoscow has urged foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the Ukrainian capital, warning of further attacks on command centres and drone facilities. Kyiv has dismissed the threat as intimidation and called for stronger international pressure on Russia
Russia has threatened to carry out a new series of strikes on Kyiv, only days after one of the heaviest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of the full-scale war.
In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said future attacks would target what it described as “decision-making centres and command posts”, as well as drone manufacturing facilities in the city. Moscow also called on foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible”, while warning civilians to avoid administrative and military buildings.
Ukraine reacted sharply, describing the warning as “shameless blackmail”. Kyiv said Russia’s message to foreign diplomats amounted to an admission that its strikes were also intended to intimidate the international presence in the capital.
Ukrainian officials stressed that Russian attacks on Kyiv have continued almost every week since the start of the war, adding that the threat posed by Moscow remains unchanged despite the latest warnings.
The renewed escalation follows a large-scale Russian assault on Saturday night, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said killed four people and wounded around 100 others in Kyiv and other regions. The attack involved missiles and drones and caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, residential buildings and cultural sites.
Moscow said the barrage, as well as its threat of further strikes, came in response to what it claimed was a deliberate Ukrainian attack on a student dormitory in Starobilsk, a town in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Russian officials said 21 people were killed there.
Ukraine denied targeting civilians, saying its forces had struck an elite Russian military drone unit operating in the area.
Kyiv has endured repeated waves of missile and drone attacks since a brief ceasefire linked to Russia’s Victory Day commemorations expired earlier in May. One previous strike on the capital killed 24 people, including three children, when an apartment block was hit.
Ukrainian attacks have also reached Russian territory. Russian officials recently said three people were killed in a large drone attack on the Moscow region, while Zelensky described such strikes as a justified response to Russia’s continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
The latest assault on Kyiv was among the largest of the war. Videos shared online showed explosions lighting up the night sky, while residents reported repeated blasts across the city. Ukrainian authorities said Russia used ballistic and cruise missiles, hundreds of drones and, according to Kyiv, a hypersonic Oreshnik missile fired toward the area of Bila Tserkva, south of the capital.
Civilian sites were also damaged, including museums, residential buildings, a shopping centre and a market.
On Monday evening, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evacuate American diplomats from Kyiv, according to Russia’s foreign ministry. Rubio later said the major strikes by both sides were a reminder of the need to end the war, adding that Washington remained ready to support efforts toward a settlement.
Many observers see Moscow’s warning to foreign nationals as part of a broader campaign of psychological pressure. Russia has regularly launched large-scale attacks on Kyiv since its invasion in 2022, but Ukraine has built a layered air defence system capable of intercepting a high proportion of incoming missiles and drones.
Even so, Ukrainian defences remain under heavy strain, particularly when Russia launches large numbers of weapons at once. Kyiv also continues to depend on Western-supplied air defence systems, a vulnerability Zelensky has repeatedly highlighted as the war drags on.
(Associated Medias) – all rights reserved
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