Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the United States recently criticized Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev and demanded Moscow refrain from launching “systematic strikes.” The Russian side, however, rejected the calls and once again warned foreign diplomats to evacuate Kiev promptly.
According to Reuters, this diplomatic clash occurred during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday (May 28). The meeting was convened at Ukraine’s request to address the large-scale aerial bombardment by Russian forces on Kiev and its surrounding areas.
As per official reports from Ukraine, last weekend Russian forces deployed hundreds of drones and various missiles to launch intensive attacks on Kiev, resulting in at least 2 civilian deaths and around 100 injuries. This included a medium-range ballistic missile named “Oreshnik” with nuclear capabilities, marking at least the third time Russia has used such weapons on the Ukrainian battlefield since November 2024.
Tammy Bruce, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN, condemned the Russian attack during the meeting, labeling the use of the “Oreshnik” missile as a “perplexing, dangerous, and barbaric escalation.” She stated that Russia’s threat of carrying out sustained systematic strikes on Kiev would further increase the risks to civilian casualties and undermine the already fragile prospects for peace.
Bruce emphasized that the U.S. urges Russia to halt its related plans but did not specify the specific measures the U.S. would take if Russia continues to advance its threats.
Vassily Nebenzia, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, rejected the U.S. criticism during the meeting and reiterated that the Russian military’s targets were Ukrainian key military facilities and intelligence agencies, not civilians.
Nebenzia declared that the Russian forces would continue to target Ukraine’s “decision-making centers” and “command posts” and claimed that these facilities are scattered across various corners of the city of Kiev. Thus, Russia warned all foreigners, including diplomatic missions and personnel of international organizations, to leave Kiev as soon as possible. He did not disclose the specific timing of future attack operations.
Previously, Russia had claimed that the large-scale air raids over the weekend were retaliatory measures against an attack on a student dormitory in the Donetsk region by Ukrainian forces. Since 2014, parts of the Donetsk region have been under the control of pro-Russian armed forces, and Russia announced the annexation of the area after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a move not universally recognized by the international community.