Russia warns foreigners to leave Kyiv and threatens to strike decision-making centers
In a dramatic development reflecting the escalating conflict in Eastern Europe, Russia foreign nationals and diplomats in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, to leave immediately. This warning coincides with Moscow's explicit announcement of its intention to launch a new wave of intensive missile strikes directly targeting decision-making centers and command headquarters in Ukraine, signaling a new and more violent phase of the confrontation.
Military escalation and use of advanced ballistic missiles
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement asserting that future strikes would not spare command centers, emphasizing the need for residents of the capital to stay away from military and administrative infrastructure. This warning came after a bloody weekend of intense Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, specifically Kyiv, which resulted in the deaths of at least four people and injuries to approximately 100 others. Adding to the gravity of the situation is the Russian forces' use of the Oreshnik ballistic missile, an advanced strategic weapon capable of carrying nuclear warheads, sending a powerful message of deterrence to the West and Ukraine's allies.
International reactions: American evacuation and French indifference
On the diplomatic front, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held telephone talks with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, urging the United States to evacuate its diplomatic staff from its embassy in Kyiv. Moscow reiterated its previous recommendations, issued on May 25, calling on Washington and other countries to ensure the safety of their personnel by withdrawing them from the Ukrainian capital.
In contrast, other European countries took a different stance; France categorically ignored the Russian warnings. The French Foreign Ministry, responding to journalists' inquiries, stated that Paris was "used to the threats of Russian President Vladimir Putin," and emphasized that evacuating its diplomats was out of the question at present. For his part, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called on his country's allies not to succumb to what he termed "Russian blackmail," demanding increased military support and an accelerated pace of arming the Ukrainian army.
Starobelsk's attack: the straw that broke the camel's back
Moscow attributes this latest escalation to a Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Starobylsk in the Luhansk region (controlled by Russia in eastern Ukraine) on Thursday night. According to the Russian account, the strike targeted a vocational college and a student dormitory housing teenagers, killing 21 people and injuring more than 40 others. The Russian Foreign Ministry described the attack as “deliberate and bloody,” calling it “the straw that broke the camel’s back” and sufficient justification for expanding its target bank in Kyiv.
On the other hand, Kyiv presented a completely different account. The Ukrainian General Staff announced that its forces had successfully targeted several Russian military positions that night, including the headquarters of a military unit in Starobylsk, denying that civilians had been targeted. Amid this information war, the Russian press published testimonies from survivors and relatives of victims to support its version of events.
Historical context and regional implications
This is not the first time Moscow has resorted to threats of targeting diplomatic missions or centers of power. In a recent historical context, Russia previously called on foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv before the military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, threatening a harsh response if Ukraine attempted to disrupt the "Victory Day" celebrations commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
This ongoing escalation is placing the entire region on a knife's edge and threatens to widen the conflict. Targeting decision-making centers in Kyiv could paralyze the Ukrainian civilian and military administration, while increasing the likelihood of catastrophic errors that could affect foreign diplomatic missions, potentially drawing other international actors deeper into this war that is reshaping the entire global order.
