Russia calls for diplomatic staff to evacuate Kyiv ahead of May 9 commemoration
On the eve of the May 9 "Victory Day" commemoration marking the end of the Great Patriotic War, Russia issued security warnings to foreign embassies, urging them to quickly evacuate diplomatic personnel and their nationals from Kyiv. It simultaneously warned that if Ukraine attempts to interfere with the commemorative events scheduled in Moscow on the 9th, Russia would carry out "inevitable retaliatory strikes," potentially targeting Ukraine's "decision-making centers."
The Russian Foreign Ministry sent a note to diplomatic missions on the 7th, though it did not specify the source of the threat. Ukraine has so far not issued an official response.
Every year on May 9, Russia holds a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square to commemorate the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. However, due to ongoing threats from Ukrainian drones, this year’s event has been significantly scaled down. According to Russian media reports, the Red Square parade will, for the first time in nearly 20 years, omit heavy military equipment displays.
Meanwhile, although both sides have successively proposed ceasefire initiatives, frontline fighting has not ceased. Russia previously announced a two-day unilateral ceasefire around the 9th; Ukraine proposed a complete halt to hostilities starting at midnight on the 7th. However, both sides soon accused each other of undermining the truce.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated that by the morning of the 7th, Russian forces had already violated the ceasefire "1,820 times." He added that despite ongoing war and daily civilian deaths, Russia persisted in holding large-scale celebrations, demonstrating that Moscow "refuses to cease fire and refuses to save lives."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sibiga said that on that day, Russia launched 108 drones and three missiles against Ukraine, hitting areas including Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy. In Sumy region, a civilian vehicle was attacked by a drone, resulting in one woman’s death; another attack on a kindergarten led to two fatalities.
Russia, meanwhile, claimed to have shot down 347 Ukrainian drones nationwide, with some detected near Moscow. In Bryansk Oblast, near the Ukrainian border, 13 people were injured and multiple residential buildings damaged.
As May 9 approaches, military actions by both Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate, raising international concerns about further expansion of the conflict.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864599532640256/
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