Russia urges diplomatic missions to leave Kyiv, warns of retaliation if Ukraine disrupts Victory Day
Al Jazeera
Russia's Foreign Ministry has urged foreign missions to evacuate Kyiv, warning of a large-scale retaliatory strike if Ukraine disrupts Russia's May 9 Victory Day celebrations. The call follows Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's comments about potential disruptions and Moscow's concerns over air defense gaps.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said it has warned diplomatic missions to swiftly evacuate their staff from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, as Moscow may launch a major strike on the city—a retaliatory measure for any potential Ukrainian attempts to disrupt Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
In a video posted on Telegram on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged diplomats to heed a warning issued by the Russian Defense Ministry on Monday about a possible attack if Ukraine takes action related to the celebrations and the parade on Moscow's Red Square.
“The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly urges the authorities of other countries… to take this statement with utmost seriousness and ensure the timely evacuation of staff from diplomatic missions and other representative offices from the city of Kyiv, as the Russian armed forces will certainly carry out a retaliatory strike on Kyiv,” Zakharova said.
Zakharova noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made “aggressive and threatening statements” about disrupting the celebrations during a meeting of the European Political Community in Armenia on Monday.
“Some EU countries were also present there. None of them reprimanded the head of the Kyiv regime,” she said.
In his speech in Armenia, Zelenskyy referred to Russia's announcement that the celebrations would be scaled down and held without military vehicles for security reasons.
“For the first time in many years, they cannot display military equipment and they fear drones might fly over Red Square. That is very telling,” he said.
Zelenskyy said Russia is redeploying air defense systems from remote areas to the vicinity of Moscow to prepare for the May 9 parade, adding that this move creates gaps for longer-range Ukrainian strikes.
“This shows that the Russian leadership is not preparing for a ceasefire—the subject of many statements—but is more concerned about the parade in Moscow than the rest of Russia,” Zelenskyy posted on X.
“At the same time, we see this as creating additional opportunities for our long-range punitive strikes. We will determine the corresponding priorities,” he added.
Meanwhile, both countries have announced rival ceasefires ahead of the event. Each side accuses the other of violating the unilateral ceasefire declared by Ukraine for May 6. Russia has also announced a temporary ceasefire for its Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
