More than 70 foreign diplomats walked through damaged streets in Kyiv on Monday to send a clear message: they were not leaving, even though Russia had just told them to go.
On May 25, 2026, Russia's Foreign Ministry ordered all foreign nationals and diplomatic staff to leave the Ukrainian capital "as soon as possible." The ministry said Russian forces would launch "systematic strikes" against military targets in Kyiv. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even called U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to demand the American embassy evacuate.
The warning came after Russia launched one of its largest attacks of the war. On May 23 to 24, Russia fired 600 drones and 90 missiles at Ukraine. The attack included an Oreshnik, an experimental hypersonic missile, which struck Bila Tserkva, a city south of Kyiv. At least four people died and more than 80 were wounded.
Russia said the strikes were retaliation for a Ukrainian drone attack on May 21 to 22 that hit Starobilsk in occupied Luhansk, killing around 20 people. However, Ukraine claimed it had targeted a Russian military headquarters, not civilians.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected Russia's evacuation demand, telling international partners not to give in to "Russian blackmail." The diplomats' walk through destroyed Lukyanivka showed their resolve to stay. So far, none have left.