Lavrov tells Rubio Russia is "beginning" systematic strikes on targets in Kyiv

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a phone call that the Russian military is "beginning" systematic strikes on facilities in Kyiv that Russia claims are being used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Source: Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement

Details: The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that Lavrov had "officially conveyed" information about the planned strikes to the American side.

The statement said that Russian forces are "beginning systematic and consistent strikes" on facilities in Kyiv that are supposedly being used by the Ukrainian military, as well as on "decision-making centres".

Quote: "On the instructions of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov officially conveyed to the American side information that, in response to the ongoing terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime against civilians and civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are beginning systematic and consistent strikes on facilities in Kyiv used for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the centres where relevant decisions are made." [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda does not recognise Putin as president – ed.]

Details: Lavrov also drew the attention of the American side to an earlier statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry recommending that foreign states evacuate diplomatic personnel and citizens from Kyiv.

Previously:

• On 25 May, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that Russian forces are beginning "systematic continuous strikes" against Ukrainian defence industry companies and "decision-making centres" in Kyiv.
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Russian threats of further strikes on Kyiv are intended to intimidate Western diplomats, but Ukraine does not expect such blackmail to succeed.

Background:

• On the night of 23-24 May, Russian forces carried out a large-scale combined strike on Ukraine using 90 missiles and 600 drones of various types, including an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.
• Across Ukraine, 4 people were killed and around 100 injured, with approximately 30 residential buildings damaged or destroyed in Kyiv alone.
• As of 25 May, two people are reported to have been killed and 91 injured, including 3 children, in the large-scale Russian attack.

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