Ukraine War · updated 55m ago · 3 min read
Russia Urges Foreign Diplomats To Leave Kyiv As It Vows Large-Scale Retaliatory Strikes
Russia urges foreign diplomats and other foreigners to leave Kyiv. Moscow vows to continue large-scale retaliatory strikes on Kyiv.
Russian strikes extend to bridges and public infrastructure in Kyiv.
9 of 12 outlets skipped it: moldova condemns drone and missile spillover into its airspace.
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BBC
“Russia said its drones had hit the two bridges used to transfer Ukrainian troops and military cargo.”Read the original ↗
Anadolu Ajansı
“Kyiv has seen an escalation in strikes in recent days, with bridges running across the Dnieper River notably among infrastructure targeted, including the Pivnichnyi Bridge earlier Saturday.”Read the original ↗
BBC foregrounds military-purpose claims, while Anadolu foregrounds bridge targeting as infrastructure impact.
Diplomats warned, strikes pledged
Russia urged foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv again and said it would continue “large-scale retaliatory strikes” in the Ukrainian capital, citing “in response to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' terrorist acts against the civilian population and civilian infrastructure of our country” and promising “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will continue to carry out large-scale retaliatory strikes.” Russia’s warning came as the BBC said a Russian strike hit the Pivnichnyi (Northern) Bridge on Saturday morning, injuring two people and damaging the road surface and overhead trolleybus wires, with traffic jams following. BThe two Kyiv bridges across the Dnipro River link the western and eastern parts of the capital and had not been hit before Thursday, while Russia said its drones had hit the two bridges used to transfer Ukrainian troops and military cargo.
Russia would continue “targeted retaliatory strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities” and urged foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the capital, while Ukraine said it would double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to Moscow’s airstrike policy. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence had obtained documents showing that Vladimir Putin had issued a “new doctrine” of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter.
Zelenskyy, Klitschko, and the “new doctrine”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would respond to Moscow’s air campaign by targeting Russian oil refineries, telling Reuters that “We have to respond in any way [we can]. With their attacks on our energy, we have to respond on their energy.”
Zelenskyy also warned that Russian documents showed “a ‘new doctrine’ of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter,” and he said the goal was “To pressure people to leave the capital, leave different cities.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said emergency services were on their way after the Pivnichnyi Bridge was hit, writing on Telegram that “Traffic on the bridge from the left to the right bank is currently blocked,” and the BBC described the resulting severing of road, rail and trolleybus links across the wide river.B
The BBC said the ongoing drone threat meant restrictions on other routes, bringing traffic jams to the city’s roads for a second day, while it reported that experts said Russian drones were unlikely to bring down the bridges but repeated attacks could force their closure.B
Zelenskyy vowed Kyiv would not target civilians, adding that he said Ukraine “will not target civilians” while it attacked Russian oil refineries.
Winter stakes and regional spillover
Russia’s foreign ministry warned that “not everyone has heeded these warnings” and that individuals were “knowingly exposing themselves to mortal danger,” while it reiterated that “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will continue to deliver massive retaliatory strikes.” The BBC said the fear was that the new Russian tactic could result in sustained attacks that “could effectively cut the city in two,” and it described Kyiv residents relying on the metro to travel across the city every day. BRussian attacks killed at least six people and damaged Kyiv’s Northern Bridge, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks for a third day, while the BBC reported that the Pivnichnyi Bridge damage had already prompted traffic jams.B
Moldova’s President Maia Sandu condemned the latest Russian attack on Kyiv and complained about a violation of her country’s airspace, writing that “Its war is dangerously reaching Moldova,” and the BBC said Moldova summoned the Russian ambassador after five Russian drones and missiles crossed its border and exploded near “several localities in four districts.” BUkraine described India’s ceasefire proposal as the “broadest” among four offers received by Kyiv, and it reported that the intensifying campaign had upended life for the capital’s 3 million residents ahead of the bitter winter months.