Overview
- After a large drone and missile assault that included the Oreshnik hypersonic weapon, Russia said it would begin “systematic and consistent” strikes on Kyiv’s military and decision-making sites and told foreign nationals to leave the capital.
- On May 25 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to relay the warning and advise evacuation of U.S. diplomats and citizens from Kyiv.
- Western missions in Kyiv rejected Moscow’s evacuation demand and nearly 50 countries at the United Nations issued a joint statement condemning threats to diplomatic institutions.
- Kyiv called the warning blackmail, denied targeting civilians in the Starobilsk incident that Moscow cited as justification, and pressed partners for more air-defence interceptors and weapons.
- Analysts say the public advisory aims to intimidate and shift the narrative after battlefield setbacks, while the increased use of advanced weapons raises risks of further escalation and civilian harm.