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

May 25, 2026Developing

Around 25–26 May 2026, Russia's Foreign Ministry and senior officials including Lavrov publicly announced plans for new mass strikes on Kyiv, specifically targeting 'decision-making centers.' The threats prompted European countries to summon Russian envoys and triggered diplomatic warnings about further escalation.

What we know — and what we don't

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.

What we don't know yet

Whether the announced strikes on 'decision-making centers' were carried out as threatened.
The extent to which claimed Ukrainian air defense missile shortages are accurate and independently verified.
Whether the diplomatic summons of Russian envoys led to any policy change or response from Moscow.