Russia informs US of upcoming strikes on Kyiv and urges America to pull diplomats

Published May 25, 2026 6:10pm ET | Updated May 25, 2026 6:10pm ET



Russia’s foreign minister advised the U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that the U.S. should withdraw its personnel from Kyiv ahead of a Russian aerial assault on the Ukrainian capital.

Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, spoke with Rubio by phone on Monday and informed him that Russian forces would soon commence “systematic and sustained strikes against facilities located in Kyiv,” in response to Ukrainian strikes in Russian territory.

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