Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Ukrainian military-industrial sites, command posts and decision-making centers in Kiev would face systematic strikes as tensions also rose over a tanker incident and new U.S. air defense support for Ukraine.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Russia said it is preparing an expanded strike campaign against targets in Kiev after accusing Ukraine of attacking a college dormitory in Starobelsk, raising concerns of a new escalation in the war as Moscow also reported finding NATO-made magnetic mines on a tanker that had arrived from Belgium.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the planned operations would focus on Ukraine’s military-industrial sites in the capital, including facilities connected to unmanned aerial vehicles. The ministry said the offensive would also reach command infrastructure tied to the Ukrainian government.
“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 Russian Foreign Ministry said, adding that the campaign would also target “decision-making centers and command posts.”
Moscow issued a warning to Kiev residents, urging them to avoid what it described as “military and administrative infrastructure facilities of the Zelensky regime.” Russian officials also advised foreign nationals, diplomatic personnel and representatives of international organizations to leave the Ukrainian capital.
According to RT, Russia issued a comparable warning earlier this month after threatening a major strike on Kiev in response to Ukrainian threats against Victory Day events in Moscow. That warning included a formal evacuation notice sent to foreign missions and international organizations accredited in Russia.
“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,” RT reported Monday. “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.”
The new Russian statement came as the conflict also showed signs of widening into maritime concerns. On Monday, Russian authorities said a tanker that had traveled from Antwerp, Belgium, to Russia’s Ust-Luga port on May 20 was found with NATO-made magnetic mines attached to its hull, according to the Russian Investigative Committee.
The vessel had been headed to Samsun, Turkey, and stopped at the Russian port for refueling when the explosives were discovered. Russian officials said personnel from the Federal Security Service worked with the Defense Ministry and the National Guard to neutralize the devices.
“It must be emphasized that, based on the initial investigative actions, it can already be concluded that the magnetic mines could not have been planted [on the tanker] in Russian territorial waters,” the agency said.
Moscow said it has opened a criminal investigation into the tanker incident. The development added to rising tension between Russia and NATO as Moscow continues to object to Ukrainian drone activity near Russian territory and in airspace around Baltic states and Finland.
“The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO over Ukrainian drones crossing the airspace of the Baltic states and Finland as they target northwestern Russia, including oil export terminals in Leningrad Region,” RT reported Monday. “Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu warned last month that if European nations ‘deliberately provide their airspace’ to Ukrainian UAVs, Moscow has the right to self-defense in response to an ‘armed attack’ under Article 51 of the UN Charter.”
The United States, meanwhile, continues to provide military support to Ukraine. ZeroHedge reported Sunday that the State Department had approved a new $108.1 million package intended to sustain Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.
“The U.S. State Department has officially cleared a $108.1 million hardware and sustainment package to keep Ukraine’s frontline air defenses online, after there’s not been much in the way of big dollar headlines concerning Washington’s longtime military support to Kiev of late,” ZeroHedge reported.
The package is aimed at maintaining and optimizing the U.S.-designed HAWK air defense system, which is short for the “Homing All the Way Killer” surface-to-air missile system.
The developments underscored the increasingly volatile state of the war, with Russia threatening intensified strikes on Kiev, reporting a suspected sabotage incident involving a foreign-linked tanker route, and warning European states over Ukrainian drone activity as Washington moves to keep Ukrainian air defenses supplied.