KYIV — Russia has warned foreign nationals and diplomatic personnel to leave Kyiv, saying it will continue carrying out retaliatory strikes against military targets in the Ukrainian capital and other cities.
In a statement issued Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said its armed forces were conducting “systematic, targeted strikes” on military facilities in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine in response to what Moscow described as terrorist attacks by Ukrainian forces against Russian civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The ministry also renewed its warning to foreign nationals and diplomatic missions against staying in or travelling to Ukraine, saying those who ignored the warning would bear responsibility for any consequences.
Russia has intensified attacks on infrastructure in Kyiv in recent days. An airstrike on Saturday reportedly hit a bridge over the Dnipro River, disrupting traffic in parts of the capital.
The escalation has added to pressure on Kyiv’s roughly three million residents ahead of the winter months, with attacks on critical infrastructure threatening to further disrupt daily life.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that Ukraine was “paying the price” for attacks on Russia, adding that Russian forces would continue striking targets in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks on each other’s grain vessels in the Black Sea in recent months. Ukrainian strikes have also targeted Russian oil refineries and other facilities, while
Russian border regions have reported civilian deaths following Ukrainian drone attacks.
Both sides, however, deny deliberately targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.
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