Russia calls on diplomats and foreigners to leave kyiv amid threats of strikes

Russia on Saturday once again called on diplomats and foreigners in kyiv to leave the city, warning that its forces will continue to carry out “massive retaliatory strikes” against the Ukrainian capital. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had “reiterated” to the diplomatic corps the warning calling on “foreign nationals and diplomats in kyiv to leave the city.”

“Responsibility for possible negative consequences lies entirely with those who ignore this warning,” the ministry added, announcing that “Russian armed forces will continue to carry out massive retaliatory strikes” against “military targets in kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.” The Ukrainian capital has been particularly targeted in recent weeks and Russian strikes have notably hit bridges there, causing major traffic jams.

The mayor of kyiv, Vitaly Klitschko, on Friday described the situation in the capital as “extremely dramatic” and estimated that Moscow was “ransacking” the city by systematically attacking its infrastructure and logistics. The Ukrainian authorities especially fear the arrival of winter, a critical period during which Russia could deal a major blow to the country's energy infrastructure, as in 2025.

Ukraine, for its part, regularly strikes refineries and oil depots in Russia, causing a fuel crisis this summer, commercial warehouses, cargo ships and other infrastructure.