Russia urges foreigners leave Kyiv over victory day threat

Bloomberg News on May 7, 2026

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Russia told foreign governments and organizations to evacuate diplomatic staff and citizens from Kyiv, saying a retaliatory strike would be inevitable if Ukraine tried to attack Moscow during World War II Victory Day celebrations on May 9.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late Wednesday that Russia had sent a message to all accredited embassies urging them to take “very, very seriously” a May 4 statement from the Defense Ministry warning of strikes if Ukraine interrupts the Moscow commemorations that include a military parade on Red Square.

“The instinct for self-preservation should not fail them,” Zakharova said, adding that any strikes on Kyiv would include what Moscow called “decision-making centers.”

The latest statement was issued as Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations over proposals for a ceasefire. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral truce for May 8-9 to cover the Victory Day celebrations, saying Russia expected Ukraine to abide by it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hasn’t committed to observe the Russian truce, countered with an offer to start a ceasefire from midnight on May 6. He said Russian drone and missile attacks that followed the deadline showed that the Kremlin had rejected his offer.

Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post shortly after the latest Russian warning that Ukraine had already made a clear proposal for a ceasefire and diplomacy, and that Moscow knew how to contact Kyiv or its partners to coordinate details.

While Ukraine was ready to end the war with dignity, if “the one person in Moscow who cannot live without war” cared only about the parade, “that’s a different story,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia had “fought to the point where even its main parade now depends on us. And this is a clear signal: Enough is enough,” he added.

Kyiv and Moscow continued to exchange drone strikes overnight, with Ukraine saying its forces downed 92 out of 102 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Russian Defense Ministry said it intercepted 347 drones overnight, while Russia’s Samara region moved children and teachers at schools to shelters and halted some public transportation, the Interfax news service reported.

Latvia said two drones crashed in the eastern part of the country, and issued an air space threat warning early Thursday morning, the Baltic country’s military said. Fire services responded to reports that one of the drones hit an oil storage facility in the city of Rezekne, though no open fire was observed. Defense Minister Andris Spruds told Latvian TV that the drones were likely Ukrainian. Schools canceled classes in the regions effected.

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—With assistance from Aaron Eglitis.