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Russia warns of systematic strikes on Kyiv and calls for foreign diplomats to evacuate the city
The Russian Foreign Ministry has threatened a fresh wave of systematic strikes against Kyiv, calling on foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the city. At least six people have been killed and more than 100 injured in recent attacks. Australia says it is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of staff at its embassy in Kyiv.
Russia's Foreign Ministry has issued a stark warning that it is preparing to launch a fresh wave of systematic strikes against the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, calling on foreign nationals and diplomats to evacuate the city immediately. The ministry also warned citizens to stay away from administrative and military buildings, in what appears to be a significant escalation in rhetoric from Moscow.
The threat comes after a particularly intense period of attacks on Kyiv in recent days, with at least six people killed and more than 100 injured. The strikes are understood to be in retaliation for an attack on a school dormitory in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region last Friday, which killed 21 people, mostly young female students.
The Australian Government has confirmed it is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of its staff at the Australian embassy in Kyiv, which only reopened in December. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was maintaining close contact with embassy personnel and assessing the evolving security environment.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Lebanon has continued to intensify, with Israel launching attacks against claimed Hezbollah targets that killed 28 people in 24 hours, bringing the death toll in the country to more than 3,200 since March. Israeli forces have pushed further into Lebanon beyond previously seized territory to combat Hezbollah drone attacks that have slipped through Israel's air defence systems using fibre optic cable control.
Fresh strikes by the United States against targets in Iran have also put further pressure on negotiations to end the wider Middle East conflict. Iran has accused the US of breaching the fragile ceasefire between the two countries, while the reclusive Iranian leader Moshtaba Khamenei warned that Gulf states would no longer be allowed to act as shields for American bases in the region.