Russia's Defense Ministry announced plans to launch a 'series of systematic strikes' on defense industrial facilities in Kyiv, urging foreign citizens to leave the Ukrainian capital.
The ministry said the strikes are in response to a Ukrainian drone attack last week that hit a student dormitory in Starobilsk in the occupied Luhansk region, killing at least 18 people.
Ukraine has ramped up its drone warfare capabilities in recent months, striking Russian targets, particularly energy infrastructure. Moscow, which launched a full-scale invasion four years ago and claims four of Ukraine's eastern regions, has branded those attacks as 'terrorism' and responded with large-scale missile and drone launches.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said the Starobilsk strike was 'the last straw' and that Russia will launch a systematic series of strikes targeting 'specific sites where UAVs are designed, manufactured, programmed, and prepared for use.'
Noting that such facilities 'are scattered throughout Kyiv,' the statement warned 'foreign citizens, including personnel of diplomatic missions and international organizations, to leave the city as soon as possible.' It also urged Kyiv residents to avoid approaching military and administrative infrastructure.
The drone salvo that hit Starobilsk, one of Ukraine's deadliest such strikes in months, also wounded 42 people. The ministry labeled it a 'flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law' and 'yet another blatant demonstration of the Nazi and terrorist nature of the Kyiv regime.' Ukraine's military denied responsibility, saying it struck an elite drone command unit.
Commenting on Moscow's threat, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged allies not to give in to 'Russian blackmail.' Over 70 foreign diplomats paid respects to victims in Kyiv on Monday.
French Ambassador Gael Veyssiere noted that ordinary people had returned to work, calling it 'a way to demonstrate resilience.' However, the threat is unlikely to be idle. Russia has heavily targeted Kyiv since the Starobilsk strike, killing at least four and injuring over 60 in overnight attacks.
Russia confirmed using an Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile on Sunday, the third time the nuclear-capable weapon has been used in the war. On Monday, Ukrainian officials reported strikes killing several in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
Earlier this month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that strikes on Russia's oil industry and military production are 'entirely justified' after a Russian attack flattened an apartment block in Kyiv, killing at least 24.
Source: www.aljazeera.com