Russia Urges Diplomats and Foreign Citizens to Leave Kyiv Immediately

Oct 04 (Jowhar)- Kyiv is once again in a difficult situation as Russia urges foreign diplomats and citizens to leave the Ukrainian capital, warning that “large-scale” attacks will continue, according to a statement from its foreign ministry.

Moscow has struck Ukraine with waves of unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles during its offensive, and in recent weeks it has intensified attacks on Kyiv, targeting the city’s critical infrastructure.

The latest statement from the Russian foreign ministry said it has “previously urged foreign citizens and diplomats in Kyiv to leave the city and avoid visiting Ukraine.”

“We are concerned that not everyone is heeding these warnings, and that individuals are recklessly exposing themselves to life-threatening danger,” the ministry added.

“Russian Armed Forces will continue to carry out large-scale retaliatory strikes,” it warned.

The ministry also stated that “the responsibility for any negative consequences that may arise lies entirely with those who ignore this warning.”

This warning comes as the mayor of Kyiv reported a new attack on one of the city’s key transport hubs, highlighting the pressure on the economic infrastructure that has continuously disrupted daily life in the capital.

The Russian strike on the Northern Bridge in Kyiv on Saturday morning, said the city's mayor Vitali Klitschko, explaining another damage to the infrastructure that caused traffic chaos.

The attack on the Northern Bridge followed an alert about a drone without a pilot, and came a day after the Southern Bridge was hit by waves of attacks that city officials said were "tearing Kyiv apart."

"The Northern Bridge has been attacked," Mr. Klitschko wrote on Telegram. "Emergency services are on their way to the site."

In a later report, Mr. Klitschko stated that the damage had affected the surface of the road as well as the trolleybus wires on the bridge.

"Traffic crossing the bridge from the left bank to the right bank is now closed," he said.

The latest incident is part of a series of attacks on the intersections of the Dnipro River, which is a vital link connecting the eastern and western sides of the capital.

On Friday, officials closed the Southern Bridge – one of the most important intersections in Kyiv – and restricted traffic on another bridge after drones without a pilot appeared to be flying rapidly, causing citywide congestion.

Main roads were filled with long lines of cars and buses as passengers sought alternative routes, while some were left to complete their journeys on foot.

The Southern Bridge is one of eight intersections connecting both sides of Kyiv.

Officials in the city are saying that the cable bridge has collapsed several times since Thursday.

Mr. Klitschko warned on Friday that the capital must now remain in a state of combat readiness.

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of violating the rules of armed conflict by allowing large-scale attacks on civilian sites – a claim the Kremlin denied.

Aside from Kyiv, attacks and assaults against the borders have also been reported elsewhere. In the city of Odesa, Russia struck a cargo ship flying the Liberian flag in the Black Sea port on Saturday, killing one person and injuring three others, according to the Ukrainian maritime administration.

A Telegram press release issued by the administration stated that 13 other staff members were evacuated for safety.

Additionally, one person was killed and two others were injured in an attack carried out by Ukraine in the Belgorod region of Russia, which borders Ukraine, according to the TASS news agency.