Russia has threatened a new wave of “systematic strikes” against Kyiv just days after launching one of the largest aerial assaults on the Ukrainian capital since the war began. In a statement, Russia’s foreign ministry said future attacks would target “decision-making centres and command posts” along with drone manufacturing facilities in Kyiv. Moscow also urged foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the city “as soon as possible” and warned people to stay away from administrative and military buildings.
The warning followed large-scale Russian strikes on Saturday night that killed four people and injured around 100 others in Kyiv and nearby regions, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia claimed the attacks were retaliation for what it described as a deliberate Ukrainian strike on a student dormitory in the town of Starobilsk, in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, where officials said 21 people were killed. Ukraine denied targeting civilians, saying its military had struck an elite Russian drone unit in the area.
Massive Missile And Drone Assault Hits Kyiv
Kyiv suffered one of the war’s biggest aerial assaults overnight on Saturday as Russia launched dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles alongside hundreds of drones. Moscow also fired a hypersonic, nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile toward the area of Bila Tserkva, located about 90 kilometers south of Kyiv.
Videos shared online showed explosions lighting up the city skyline throughout the night as blasts rocked residential neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure.
Several non-military sites were reportedly damaged or destroyed, including the Chernobyl Museum, the National Art Museum of Ukraine, a shopping center, a market, and residential buildings in the Lukanivka district.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evacuate American diplomats from Kyiv during a phone call on Monday, according to Russia’s foreign ministry.
Despite repeated attacks since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine has developed layered air defenses capable of intercepting many incoming missiles and drones. However, officials warn that the sheer scale of Russian barrages can overwhelm those systems, leaving Kyiv increasingly reliant on foreign-supplied air defense weapons.