Russia Urges Diplomats and Foreign Nationals to Exit Kyiv Immediately

Kyiv is once again in the crosshairs as Russia urges diplomats and foreign nationals to leave the Ukrainian capital, warning that “massive” strikes will continue, according to a statement from its foreign ministry.

Moscow has battered Ukraine with waves of drones and missiles throughout its offensive, and in recent weeks has intensified attacks on Kyiv, striking key infrastructure across the city.

In its latest statement, the Russian foreign ministry said it “had previously urged foreign nationals and diplomats in Kyiv to leave the city and refrain from visiting Ukraine.”

“We note with concern that not everyone has heeded these warnings, and that individuals are knowingly exposing themselves to mortal danger,” the ministry added.

“The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will continue to deliver massive retaliatory strikes,” it warned.

The ministry also said “responsibility for any potential negative consequences rests entirely with those who ignore this warning.”

The warning came as Kyiv’s mayor reported a fresh hit on one of the city’s main transport arteries, underscoring the pressure on infrastructure that has repeatedly disrupted daily life in the capital.

A Russian strike struck the Northern Bridge in Kyiv on Saturday morning, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, describing another blow to infrastructure that has triggered traffic turmoil.

The attack on the Northern Bridge followed a drone alert and came a day after the Southern Bridge was hit in a wave of strikes that city officials say is “tearing Kyiv apart”.

“Northern Bridge has been hit,” Mr Klitschko wrote on Telegram. “Emergency services are heading to the scene.”

In a later update, mR Klitschko said the strike damaged the road surface as well as trolleybus wires on the bridge.

“Traffic across the bridge from the left bank to the right bank is currently blocked,” he said.

The latest incident is part of a string of attacks on crossings over the Dnipro river, the vital links that connect the eastern and western sides of the capital.

On Friday, authorities closed the Southern Bridge — one of Kyiv’s principal crossings — and limited movement on another bridge after a barrage of fast-moving, jet-powered drones, sending congestion across the city to crippling levels.

Major roads filled with long lines of cars and buses as commuters searched for alternative routes, while some were left to finish their trips on foot.

The Southern Bridge is one of eight crossings connecting the two sides of Kyiv.

City officials say the cable-stayed bridge has been hit several times since Thursday.
Mr Klitschko warned on Friday that the capital should now be on a war footing.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of tearing up the rules of armed conflict by authorizing large-scale attacks on civilian areas — a claim the Kremlin has rejected.

Apart from Kyiv, strikes and cross-border attacks were also reported elsewhere. In Odesa, Russia hit a Liberian-flagged cargo ⁠ship at a Black Sea port, killing one person and wounding three, Ukraine’s ‌sea ⁠ports administration said on Saturday.

In a Telegram statement, the administration said 13 ‌other crew members were evacuated to safety.

Separately, one ⁠person was killed and two more were injured ⁠in a Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Belgorod region, which ‌borders ⁠Ukraine, ‌the TASS state news ⁠agency reported.

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