Moscow orders diplomatic evacuation from Kyiv ahead of Victory Day
A unilateral ceasefire declared by Moscow for May 8 and 9 has been rejected by Kyiv, yet fighting continues despite the Kremlin's warning to foreign missions to leave the capital immediately.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an urgent directive to all diplomatic missions in Kyiv, instructing their staff to evacuate the Ukrainian capital immediately. This order follows a specific threat from Moscow to launch mass retaliatory strikes on the city, a move framed by the Kremlin as a necessary response to potential Ukrainian attempts to disrupt Victory Day commemorations scheduled for May 9.
In a note to foreign diplomatic missions and international organisations, Russia warned it would launch a "retaliatory strike" on the Ukrainian capital, "including against decision-making centres", if Ukraine disrupted the commemorations this Saturday. The directive urged authorities to ensure the timely evacuation of personnel from diplomatic and other missions, as well as citizens, from the city of Kyiv. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova characterised the evacuation as unavoidable due to the "inevitability" of a retaliatory strike by Russia's Armed Forces.
This warning coincides with a unilateral Russian ceasefire declared for May 8 and 9 to coincide with World War II Victory Day commemorations in Moscow. Ukraine has rejected this unilateral arrangement, noting that it had previously proposed its own ceasefire for May 6 which Moscow ignored. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised Russia for demanding a ceasefire on May 9, an important holiday for Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting that Moscow is prioritising the safety of its parade over the security of the rest of the country.
Despite the Russian ceasefire, fighting continues, with reports of strikes and casualties on both sides. Ukrainian officials reported multiple attacks throughout Wednesday, when Ukraine's unilateral ceasefire was due to be in force. At least four people died in Russian attacks, including two at a kindergarten in the northern Sumy region, according to officials. A Ukrainian officer at the eastern front stated that since Russia "did not comply" with the Kyiv-suggested ceasefire, their unit responded in kind and countered all provocations.
The Kremlin did not comment on the Kyiv-proposed ceasefire, only calling for Ukraine to halt attacks for May 9. Moscow's defence ministry said it had downed 53 Ukrainian drones between 21:00 and 07:00, though it did not specify if any attacks occurred after the supposed ceasefire start time. Ukrainian President Zelensky accused Russia of redeploying air defences to protect Moscow for the parade, creating vulnerabilities for Ukrainian long-range attacks, while noting that virtually every hour reports of strikes continue to arrive.
Moscow has initiated intermittent city-wide internet shutdowns lasting until Saturday, adding to the sense of unease ahead of the May 9 parade. This is the first time in nearly 20 years that Moscow plans to remove military hardware from the Victory Day procession. Talks on ending the war have shown little progress and have been overshadowed by the Iran conflict, leaving the diplomatic warning from Russia to stand without an immediate official response from Kyiv.
