Russia threatens more Kyiv strikes and tells foreign nationals to leave

It comes after the Ukrainian capital suffered one of the biggest aerial assaults of the war overnight on Saturday. Russia threatens more Kyiv strikes and tells foreign nationals to leave Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Russian strikes destroyed several buildings in the Ukrainian capital on Saturday A cyclist rides past a damaged building, with a crew cleaning up in front of it Russia has threatened to launch a fresh wave of "systematic strikes" against Kyiv, days after carrying out one of its largest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since the start of the war. The new strikes will target "decision-making centres and command posts", alongside drone manufacturing facilities in the city, Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. Moscow has called for foreign nationals and diplomats to leave Kyiv "as soon as possible" and warned citizens to stay away from administrative and military buildings. Large-scale Russian strikes on Saturday night killed four and injured about 100 people in Kyiv and other areas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Moscow said that barrage and threatened further strikes were in response to what it claims was a deliberate Ukrainian attack on a student dormitory in the town of Starobilsk on Friday, in which Russian officials said 21 people were killed. Ukraine's military said its forces had struck an elite Russian military drone unit in the area, in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, and had not targeted civilians. A large grey boxy building is visibly damaged and surrounded by debris and rubble. Flames are visible on one side of the building. Rosenberg: Luhansk strike sparks Russian accusations and vow to retaliate Russia has launched several waves of deadly missile and drone attacks on Kyiv since a brief ceasefire, that coincided with Moscow's annual Victory Day parade, expired earlier in May. Shortly after that, Russian strikes on Kyiv killed 24 people, including three children, in a block of flats. Days later, Russian officials said three people were killed in a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow region, with Zelensky saying the strikes were an "entirely justified" response to deadly Russian attacks. Days later, Russian officials said three people were killed in a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow region , with Zelensky saying the strikes were an "entirely justified" response to deadly Russian attacks. Kyiv then suffered one of the biggest aerial assaults of the war overnight on Saturday. Videos posted on social media showed explosions lighting up the sky throughout the night, and many Kyiv residents reported blasts rocking the city as numerous civilian targets were hit. Russia employed dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles and hundreds of drones to hit the capital, as well as firing a hypersonic, nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile on the area of Bila Tserkva, 90km south of Kyiv. Non-military targets such as the Chernobyl Museum in Kyiv's historic district and the National Art Museum of Ukraine were damaged or destroyed. A shopping centre, a market and several residential buildings in the area of Lukanivka were also destroyed. Many are interpreting Russia's warning for foreign nationals to leave Kyiv as a form of psychological pressure. Russia already carries out large-scale strikes on the capital, and has done so since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But four and a half years of war have taught Ukraine to develop and ramp up a sophisticated and layered air defence system. It now intercepts a vast proportion of drones and missiles – although Russia often fires them in such great numbers they overwhelmed air defences and many do get through. Ukraine also remains heavily dependent on foreign air defence systems for missile interception. In March, Zelensky warned that his country would face a deficit of such weapons due to the US and Israel's war with Iran. A woman in a grey hoodie and track pants walks past a destroyed building in Kyiv on May 24. There is debris on the floor and smoke in the air. The charred remains of a car can be seen in the background Large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine leaves four dead and dozens injured Prisoner swap goes ahead as Kyiv mourns 24 killed in Russian strike on flats A hypersonic missile, which reportedly travels over 10 times the speed of sound, was used, Russia has confirmed. Pilots on board had to use a different navigation system while the plane's GPS was disabled. Eighteen people were killed and 42 others injured in the strike on the town in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Ukraine says it struck Russia's elite Rubicon drone military unit in a Moscow-occupied region. Ayrton Redfearn, 23, died on 9 May having joined a unit supporting the Ukrainian army in 2025. Louise Pasterfield, an artist based in Saltash, is set to exhibit her work on 28 May. The intrusion of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles into the airspace of the Baltic states raises questions, and not all of them have answers. After four years of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has become far more successful at fighting off air raids.