RUSSIA WARNS KYIV OF NEW STRIKES AS DRONE ATTACKS CONTINUE

Russia has warned foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv as it prepares possible new strikes on what it describes as military-linked targets in Ukraine’s capital. The warning followed a call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which Lavrov informed Washington of Russia’s decision to strike Kyiv sites linked to the Ukrainian military, according to Reuters.

The warning came after Russia continued its air campaign overnight. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched more than 100 drones and two ballistic missiles at Ukraine, while Kyiv faced renewed warnings of a possible larger barrage. Russia has said its planned strikes would target military bunkers, command sites, and strategic facilities, not government offices.

Ukraine and several European missions rejected the pressure to leave the capital. AP reported that there were no announcements of diplomatic departures from Kyiv, while the European Union, French, and Polish delegations publicly said they would remain. The European Union also summoned Russia’s representative in Brussels, with an EU spokesperson accusing Moscow of trying to sow panic.

The Russian warning is tied to Moscow’s claim that Ukraine struck a college and dormitory in Russian-occupied Starobilsk, killing civilians. Ukraine has disputed Russia’s account, saying the target was a military drone unit rather than a civilian facility. Western reporting has treated the competing claims carefully because independent verification remains limited in occupied territory.

Kyiv residents are responding with fatigue rather than surprise. Reuters reported that many residents dismissed the threat as psychological pressure after years of missile and drone attacks. The same report said a recent heavy bombardment killed three people, wounded more than 90, and damaged hundreds of sites, while residents continued daily life under the expectation of further attacks.

The warning also lands during a period of pressure on Ukraine’s air defenses. AP reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has highlighted shortages of U.S.-made air-defense systems and said Ukraine is working to expand domestic and European defense capacity. The issue is sharper because Washington’s attention and military resources are also being pulled toward the Iran conflict.

The immediate question is whether Moscow’s warning becomes a larger strike campaign or remains part of a pressure campaign around Kyiv. For Ukraine’s allies, the decision by diplomatic missions to stay is a political signal as much as a security calculation. For Kyiv, the warning reinforces a familiar pattern: Russia uses advance threats, missile and drone barrages, and information pressure together, while Ukraine tries to keep the capital functioning under repeated attack.

Fact-check date: 26 May 2026
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, The Guardian, The Times

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