Russia Warns Diplomats To Leave Kyiv Ahead Of More Attacks

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia warned diplomats and foreign residents Monday to leave the Ukrainian capital Kyiv amid indications Moscow is preparing more massive attacks following one of the most devastating missile and drone assaults on war-torn Ukraine in recent years.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said upcoming strikes would target “decision-making centers” and companies linked to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, while urging foreign citizens and diplomatic staff to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also reportedly urged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a phone call to evacuate the American embassy in Kyiv.

The warnings came after Russia launched about 600 drones and 90 missiles against Ukraine, including the rare use of the supersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, according to Ukrainian officials.

RUSSIA ESCALATES ATTACKS

At least four people were killed and more than 20 injured in the latest large-scale attacks, which targeted Kyiv and other regions, Ukrainian authorities said.

Additional strikes Monday hit eastern and southern Ukraine, killing one person and wounding at least 15 others. In the eastern city of Kramatorsk, 12 people, including an 8-year-old boy, were injured in attacks involving guided glide bombs, officials said.

Infrastructure in the southern port city of Odesa was also damaged, according to regional authorities.

Ukraine accused Russia of compensating for battlefield setbacks with what Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described as “barbaric missile attacks” targeting civilians and urban centers.

EUROPE CONDEMNS STRIKES

Russia said the strikes were retaliation for a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk that Moscow claimed killed 21 civilians. Ukraine disputed that account, saying the target was military-related.

European leaders condemned the attacks, with French President Emmanuel Macron describing them as “a further escalation” of the war.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused Russia of deliberately terrorizing civilians after failing to achieve decisive military gains on the battlefield.

German broadcaster ARD said its Kyiv studio suffered severe damage in the attacks, while German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle also reported damage to one of its offices in the Ukrainian capital.

PUTIN SPEAKS OF PEACE

Ukraine has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council and talks within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe following the attacks.

Amid the death and destruction, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday he believes “an end to this issue will come” regarding the war in Ukraine and indicated he would be open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy if a long-term peace agreement could be reached.

He spoke as new figures showed Russia’s economy reportedly contracted by 1.8 percent in January and February amid ongoing war pressures and international sanctions.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, up to two million people are believed to have been killed or injured on both sides, while millions more have fled the troubled region.

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