Russia has told foreign citizens and diplomats living in Kyiv to leave the city, warning that it plans to launch more strikes on the Ukrainian capital and its “decision-making centres”.
Later on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also urged the United States to evacuate diplomats from its embassy in Kyiv during a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Sergei Lavrov drew attention to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement from May 25, which recommended that the United States, along with other states with missions in Kyiv, ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the Ukrainian capital,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The evacuation warning comes a day after Russia launched a massive wave of missile and drone strikes in one of it biggest attacks on Kyiv since 2022, leaving two people dead and more than 90 wounded.
“Under the current circumstances, the Russian Armed Forces are starting to launch systematic strikes against Ukrainian military-industrial facilities in Kyiv,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The strikes will target both decision-making centres and command posts… We are warning foreign citizens, including personnel of diplomatic missions and international organisations, to leave the city as soon as possible,”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claims the attack was retaliation for a Ukrainian assault days before on a vocational school which killed 21 people in the Russian-occupied region of Luhansk.
Earlier this month, Russia called on foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kyiv when it threatened massive attacks on the centre of the capital if Ukraine disrupted a military parade on Red Square.
Ambassadors visit destroyed sites
Residents and authorities could be seen cleaning up the rubble on Monday left by Russia’s Sunday attack, which killed at least two people and wounded 91, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration.
Weapons used by Moscow included the Oreshnik hypersonic missile which can travel 10 times the speed of sound and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads, according to Russia.
Meanwhile, more than 70 ambassadors led by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visited the Russian strike sites, including homes, residential buildings, and a market.
One vendor who had worked for more than 20 years at the market returned to it to find it had burnt down.
“I am 45 years old. Twenty years of my life and work I have spent here. We have many people here who were left without jobs and houses,” Zhana Kuzmak said.
Another vendor, Vitaly Mykolaevych, added: “We worked hard every year here to earn money. We had customers and friends here, and in one hour everything ended.”
The vendors say that they hope local authorities will help them rebuild the market.
Oleksii Kauleb, Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, said that in the past 24 hours they had recevied 986 applicants for compensation for destroyed housing through the Diia state-run app, adding: “This shows the scale of the destruction and, at the same time, people’s demand for rapid recovery.”
Russia has launched near-daily strikes on Ukraine since its full scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
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