Russia threatens diplomats: Leave Kiev
Russia will launch a “systematic attack” on Kiev and urges foreign citizens to leave the Ukrainian capital, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Kremlin announced that attacks will be directed at places in Kiev where drones are developed and produced, as well as at Ukrainian command centers.
Kiev residents are warned not to be near both military and civilian government buildings.
“Due to the fact that the above-mentioned objects are scattered across Kiev, we warn foreign citizens, including personnel of diplomatic missions and international organizations, of the need to leave the city as soon as possible,” the Russian Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement on Monday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also conveyed the message in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“Blackmail”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said at a press conference that there was no reason to give in to “Russian blackmail.”
The EU ambassador to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová, called the Russian statement a “masterpiece of hypocrisy” and stressed that European diplomats would not leave.
“Threats against diplomats and international organizations are not a sign of strength. They are a sign of desperation,” she wrote on social media.
Alleged revenge
According to Russia, the attacks are retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian attack in the occupied Luhansk region on Friday night. Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting civilians in a student dormitory, something Ukraine has denied.
On Sunday night, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine with a large number of missiles and drones, most of them targeting the capital. Two people were killed and 92 injured in Kiev, according to Ukrainian emergency services.
The massive attack used the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile, a weapon that Russia says can be equipped with nuclear weapons.
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