Russia announces planned mass strikes on Kyiv decision-making centers, May 2026

What we know

• Russia's Foreign Ministry publicly announced plans for new mass attacks on Kyiv, including strikes on 'decision-making centers.'
• Foreign Minister Lavrov warned US Secretary Rubio of planned strikes on Kyiv's decision-making centers and urged the US embassy to evacuate.
• The EU stated it would not evacuate its mission from Kyiv despite Russian threats.
• European countries and the EU summoned Russian envoys in response to the threats.
• Rybar reported the Russian MFA announced the start of systematic bombardments of Kyiv as of the morning of 26 May 2026.
• Ukrainian-affiliated sources reportedly acknowledged a shortage of air defense missiles, with Kyiv requesting 5–10 missiles in negotiations.
• Russian attacks over the preceding day killed 6 and injured over 100 across Ukraine.