Kiev’s deadly attack on a college dorm in the Russian town of Starobelsk last week was the “last straw” for Russia, and it will be conducting “systematic strikes” on assorted targets across the Ukrainian capital from now on, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has announced.
The ministry made the statement on Monday, a day after a large-scale retaliatory strike on Kiev, prompted by the drone attack on the college in the Lugansk People’s Republic. The Ukrainian strike killed at least 21 people in their dormitory, mainly teenage girls.
The Starobelsk attack has become yet another testament to “the Nazi and terrorist nature of the Kiev regime, which deliberately targets civilians and does not hesitate to murder children in cold blood,” the ministry said, warning that Moscow is shifting its approach to the Ukraine conflict.
“This was the last straw. Under these circumstances, the Russian Armed Forces will be launching systematic strikes against the Ukrainian military-industrial complex in Kiev, including locations where UAVs are designed, manufactured, programmed, and prepared for use,” the ministry said, adding that the campaign will also affect “decision-making centers and command posts.”
The designated targets are spread all over Kiev, the ministry noted, urging foreign nationals, including diplomats and representatives of international organizations, to leave the Ukrainian capital immediately. It also warned the city’s residents to stay away from the “military and administrative infrastructure facilities of the Zelensky regime.”
The Foreign Ministry issued a similar warning earlier this month, when Russia threatened a large-scale strike on Kiev in response to its threats to attack the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. An evacuation notice was formally sent to all foreign missions and international organizations accredited in Russia, urging them to leave the Ukrainian capital.
The demand was openly snubbed by some Western nations, with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stating that Berlin would not be “intimidated” by it. A similar stance was communicated by the EU Commission, which said it “will not change our posture or presence” in Kiev. The potential exchange in such strikes, however, never occurred, as the warring sides ultimately managed to enter an uneasy truce amid the celebrations.