One day following one of the most intense Russian assaults on Kyiv since the 2022 full-scale invasion, Moscow issues a warning to foreign residents and diplomats to evacuate Ukraine’s capital, stating it will maintain the intensity of its strikes.
Russia has instructed foreign nationals and diplomatic staff residing in Kyiv to evacuate, noting intentions to continue targeting the Ukrainian capital and its «decision-making centres».
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On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also called on the United States to withdraw its diplomats from the Kyiv embassy during a conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
«Sergei Lavrov highlighted the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement dated May 25, which advised the US and other nations maintaining missions in Kyiv to ensure their diplomatic staff and citizens depart the Ukrainian capital,» stated Russia’s foreign ministry.
This evacuation advice follows a massive series of missile and drone attacks by Russia on Kyiv one day prior, marking one of the largest offensives since 2022, resulting in two fatalities and over 90 injuries.
«Given the current situation, the Russian Armed Forces are commencing systematic strikes targeting Ukrainian military-industrial sites within Kyiv,» said the Russian foreign ministry.
«Targets include both command centres and decision-making hubs… We caution foreign nationals, including embassy personnel and representatives of international organizations, to leave the city promptly,» it added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin contends the attack was in retaliation for a Ukrainian strike a few days earlier on a vocational school in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, which caused 21 deaths.
At the beginning of this month, Russia had already urged foreign nationals and diplomats to depart Kyiv amid threats of extensive attacks on the city center if Ukraine disrupted a military parade on Red Square.
Diplomats survey damaged locations
On Monday, residents and officials were observed clearing debris left by Sunday’s Russian assault, which claimed at least two lives and injured 91 people, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration.
The weapons deployed by Moscow included the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, capable of traveling at ten times the speed of sound and reportedly able to carry nuclear warheads, according to Russian sources.
Meanwhile, over 70 ambassadors, accompanied by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, toured the sites struck by Russian attacks, which encompassed homes, residential structures, and a marketplace.
One longtime market vendor, who had worked there for more than twenty years, returned to find the place destroyed by fire.
“I am 45 years old. I have spent two decades of my life and work here. Many people have lost their jobs and homes,” expressed Zhana Kuzmak.
Another seller, Vitaly Mykolaevych, commented: «We toiled every year to earn a living here. We had clients and friends, but within an hour, everything was gone.”
The vendors expressed hope that local authorities will assist in rebuilding the market.
Oleksii Kauleb, Ukraine’s Minister for Communities and Territories Development, reported receiving 986 claims for housing damage compensation through the Diia government app within the past 24 hours, stating: «This underscores the scale of destruction and simultaneously reflects people’s strong demand for swift recovery.»
Since February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has carried out near-daily strikes across the country.