Sergei Lavrov pressured the US to evacuate staff from its embassy in Kyiv during a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday. Russia has threatened systematic strikes on the capital and demanded that foreigners leave.
Ukraine Rejects Russian Demands
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged Kyiv's allies not to give in to Russian blackmail. Katarina Mathernova, head of the EU mission in Kyiv, said the 27-nation bloc was not going anywhere. Russia wants fear, panic, and isolation of Ukraine, but it will not work, she stated.
On Tuesday, Rubio told reporters that Russia had sent a notice to all embassies, not just the US one. In Kyiv, rescuers tackled the aftermath of Sunday's strikes, which authorities said killed at least four people and injured 91. More than 70 foreign diplomats paid their respects to the victims in the heavily damaged Lukyanivka neighborhood.
Kyiv Residents Show Resilience
Kyiv residents returned to their normal routines on Monday, sunbathing on terraces, playing in streets, and sitting at cafes. Some said they had become desensitized after more than four years of war. We are used to it, said Roman, a 36-year-old firefighter who helped clear ruins. Emotions take a back seat, he noted.
After a coffee shop was damaged by a strike, dozens of Kyiv residents flocked to support the business, queueing up to make orders despite the damage. Owner Yevgen Prusak became a minor social media celebrity after serving hot drinks to rescuers through blown-out windows. I understood who I am working for, he said.
Among the buildings damaged was the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Students Mykola, 17, and Maksym, 18, came to class despite the attack. We don't give this so much meaning. Life is not stopping, said Mykola.
Confidence Amid War
Nathalie Tocci wrote for the Guardian that Ukrainians do not believe the end of the war is imminent, but they see Russian advances slowing. The cracks in the Russian economy are ever more visible, boosting Ukrainians' confidence in their ability to resist.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Kyiv on her first visit to Ukraine. She visited the grave of Maria Zaitseva, a Belarusian woman who helped counter Russia's invasion. Maria is a symbol of a new generation of Belarusians, Tsikhanouskaya said.
Attacks and Counterattacks
Ukraine struck a Russian oil depot in the Bryansk region, part of the fuel supply chain for the Russian army. In Russia's Belgorod region, a missile and drone attack cut power and water supplies, killing one man. The Russia-installed head of parts of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, said seven people were killed in Ukrainian attacks. Reuters could not independently verify the reports.
In Ukrainian-held territory, two people were killed and 16 wounded in Russian attacks in the Kherson region. In a missile attack on Derhachi near Kharkiv, two people were killed and over 20 injured. In Odesa, one person was killed and three injured. Fourteen were wounded in Dnipropetrovsk region. Drones attacked a nine-storey apartment building in Pavlohrad. In Kramatorsk, 12 people were hurt.
President Zelenskyy said Ukraine had made little progress with the US in expanding production of anti-missile defenses. He repeated that Kyiv was expecting new diplomatic measures from Washington.
