Russia has issued a chilling warning to foreign nationals, diplomats and international staff in Kyiv, urging them to leave the Ukrainian capital immediately as Moscow threatens a new wave of “systematic strikes” targeting command centres, military hubs and drone production facilities. The Russian Foreign Ministry said strikes would continue across Kyiv and warned civilians to stay away from government and military buildings. Reports also suggest Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pressed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the safety of embassy staff in the city. Ukraine reacted furiously to the warning, calling it “shameless blackmail” and accusing Moscow of trying to intimidate the diplomatic community. The threat comes just after one of the biggest Russian assaults on Kyiv in recent months, during which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 90 missiles and 600 drones.  

Russia launched one of the heaviest attacks on Kyiv since the start of the war, firing 90 missiles and 600 drones in a devastating overnight bombardment that shook the Ukrainian capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said around 300 facilities were damaged, most of them residential buildings, as emergency crews rushed to contain fires and rescue civilians. The attack also included the use of an Oreshnik hypersonic missile near Kyiv — only the third time Russia has reportedly used the powerful weapon since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. The missile, capable of travelling thousands of kilometres, has intensified fears of further escalation in the war.