SRINAGAR: Russia on Saturday warned foreign diplomats and other nationals to leave Kyiv, saying its forces would continue strikes on the Ukrainian capital, after a Russian attack damaged the city’s Northern Bridge.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the warning followed what it described as Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilians and infrastructure. It said Russian forces would continue what Moscow called targeted retaliatory strikes on military facilities in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
The ministry urged foreign nationals, including diplomatic personnel, not to remain in Kyiv or travel to Ukraine, warning that those ignoring its advice could face what it described as “mortal danger”. It said responsibility for any possible consequences would rest with those who disregarded the warning.
The warning followed an attack on Kyiv’s Northern Bridge, where road surfaces and overhead trolleybus cables were damaged, disrupting traffic, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. Two people were wounded in the strike, according to AFP reporting.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed the strike and said the bridge was being used to support troop movements and the transport of military cargo for Ukraine’s armed forces.
The latest attack came amid intensified Russian aerial strikes on Kyiv and repeated disruption to transport and daily life in the capital. The city, home to around three million people, has faced frequent air-raid alerts and attacks on key infrastructure.
Klitschko said on Friday that Kyiv was facing a “very dramatic situation” and needed to operate on a war footing as strikes increasingly targeted bridges and energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian authorities also reported casualties from attacks elsewhere in the country. Russian strikes on Kharkiv and surrounding areas killed five people and injured more than 40, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. Three people were wounded in drone strikes on Izyum, local authorities said.
In Odesa, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority said a sailor was killed and three others were wounded when Russian forces struck a civilian cargo vessel.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said Russian airspace incursions linked to the conflict were bringing the war dangerously closer to Moldova. “I condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine this morning. Its war is dangerously reaching Moldova,” she said.
Russia and Ukraine have both denied deliberately targeting civilians. The latest escalation comes as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war remain stalled.
