Russia Warns Foreigners to Leave Kyiv, Threatens Retaliatory Airstrikes Against Ukraine (Comprehensive)

Russia has announced plans for a large-scale airstrike targeting Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

AFP Yonhap News

According to Russia's state-run TASS news agency on May 25 (local time), the Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a release that it “will launch strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities in Kyiv in response to attacks against civilians.”

Russia claimed that the targets include drone-related facilities supported by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) experts, as well as Ukrainian command centers. The ministry also warned foreigners currently in Kyiv—including diplomatic mission staff and personnel from international organizations—to leave the city as soon as possible. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly advised U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a phone call, that U.S. diplomats and citizens stationed in Kyiv should evacuate. Russia had already carried out a large-scale retaliatory attack on Kyiv the previous day, which reportedly left at least four people dead and 91 injured.

The Ukrainian attack on civilians cited by Russia refers to an airstrike that hit a university dormitory in the occupied city of Starobilsk, Luhansk. According to the Russian side, an attack by Ukraine on May 22 killed 16 students and injured 42 others. Ukraine, on the other hand, argued that the attack was aimed at a nearby military command post, and accused Russia of manipulating related information.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has stated that it will not back down in the face of Russia’s threats. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized on the social network X (formerly Twitter), “Together with our partner nations, we are discussing the fact that there is no need to yield to such Russian intimidation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.