Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, urged foreign nationals on Tuesday—including diplomatic and international organization personnel—to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible” in light of Moscow’s retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian military targets. These strikes are a response to what Russia calls the crimes of the Ukrainian regime against Russian civilians, particularly the deadly bombing of a student residence in Starobelsk.

“We also urge Kyiv residents to refrain from approaching military and administrative facilities, as well as infrastructure belonging to the Zelensky regime,” the diplomat specified during a press conference.

Nebenzia emphasized that the “constant and systematic strikes” against Ukrainian defense industry enterprises in the capital are the Russian Armed Forces’ response to the multiple crimes committed by the Kyiv regime. The targets of Russian retaliatory strikes include facilities involved in the design, manufacturing, programming, and preparation of drones for operational use, he detailed.

“These strikes will target decision-making centers and command posts, as the mentioned facilities are scattered throughout Kyiv,” he stated.

Alongside Nebenzia’s warnings to foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, the Russian Foreign Ministry published an official note on Monday with the same recommendation.

“We warn foreign citizens, including personnel of diplomatic missions and international organization representations, of the need to leave the city as soon as possible, and Kyiv residents to avoid approaching military and administrative infrastructure facilities of the Zelensky regime,” the ministry indicated.

Russian Retaliatory Strikes

The Kyiv regime’s army continuously attacks civilian facilities on Russian territory. Ukrainian drones and missiles strike vehicles, homes, recreation areas, shopping centers, and other civilian sites, causing casualties.

On May 24, the Russian Defense Ministry announced it had launched an attack against Ukrainian military targets in response to the Kyiv regime’s crimes against Russian civilians, particularly the deadly bombing of the student residence in Starobelsk.

In the massive strike launched against the city of Kyiv and its province, Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander aeroballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles, and Tsirkon cruise missiles were used. Additionally, air-, sea-, and land-based cruise missiles, along with attack drones, were launched. The Russian Defense Ministry specified that “no strikes were planned or carried out against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure facilities.”

Kyiv’s Attack on Russian Youth

In the early morning of May 22, the Armed Forces of Ukraine bombed a building and a student residence with drones. At the time of the attack, 86 young people were in the facility. Approximately 21 people died, and more than 60 were injured.

The Investigative Committee stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces deliberately attacked the site with several aircraft-type drones. An investigation for terrorism has been opened.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called the Ukrainian attack on the students “barbaric” and denounced that it has been silenced by the West. Furthermore, it noted that such long-range weapons attacks, supplied to Kyiv by NATO, are launched with “technical assistance from foreign specialists” from member countries of the military bloc.

Additionally, the Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that Russian forces will carry out “systematic strikes” against military-industrial complex facilities in Kyiv, in response to the Ukrainian army’s crimes against the civilian population.

On Sunday, media representatives from 19 countries arrived in the Luhansk People’s Republic: Austria, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Venezuela, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Qatar, China, Cuba, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, the United States, Turkey, Finland, and France.

Tokyo prohibited its journalists from participating in the trip. “The BBC officially declined the invitation. CNN is on vacation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson revealed on social media.