If Someone Threatens to Kill You, It’s Safer to Believe Him
“Destroying evil, destroying an enemy before it returns to kill you, your family, your children is universally tolerated and acceptable.”
That was the conclusion of my blog of May 24, 2026. Russia ultimately launched what was considered one of its largest drone and IRBM attacks against Ukraine, striking mostly civilian targets in Kyiv and other cities.
Today, Russia, which apparently is still alive and well, repeated the true nature of its heinous intentions and again warned Kyiv and the international community that it would unleash another massive air assault against Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov revealed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Moscow’s plans. A message from Russian führer Putin to President Donald J. Trump said that Ukraine should expect another massive airborne assault within a short period of time, according to a host of news media.
Lavrov told the US  diplomat to evacuate its diplomats from its embassy in Kyiv during a phone call with the American diplomat on Monday, May 25.
The statement came after Russia warned of “systematic strikes” against Kyiv in the coming days following the latest major barrage over the weekend.
“On May 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement, according to the French AFP.
“Sergei Lavrov drew attention to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement from May 25, which recommended that the United States, along with other states with missions in Kyiv, ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the Ukrainian capital,” it added.
Moscow said Russian forces would target Ukrainian defense industry sites involved in the design, production, programming, and deployment of drones, however, oftentimes those targets are non-military civilian sites.
The so-called official communique stated: “On the instructions of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov officially conveyed to the American side information that, in response to the ongoing terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime against civilians and civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are beginning systematic and consistent strikes on facilities in Kyiv used for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the centers where the relevant decisions are made.”
Following the call, Rubio said he relayed Lavrov’s message to Trump.
“I spoke to him yesterday about that and a couple of other topics, and obviously, Putin had asked him to call me to relay the message directly to the President, which I did,” Rubio told reporters.
“Kyiv has been a dangerous place for a number of years. The danger in all these wars, as they continue and go on, is that they always carry the threat of escalation... of spreading into something new.”
However, European leaders and diplomats signaled they would remain in Kyiv despite Moscow's warnings, rejecting what they described as an attempt to intimidate and isolate Ukraine.
Katarina Mathernova, the European Union's ambassador to Ukraine, said the bloc “is not going anywhere.”
“We stay in Kyiv,” Mathernova stated on X. “We stay with Ukraine.”
After the Memorial Day hiatus, US Ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis condemned Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Kyiv after visiting damaged sites in the Ukrainian capital on Monday, May 25.
In a statement published by the Embassy in Ukraine on X, Davis said Russia’s overnight attack on May 24 targeted museums, metro infrastructure, residential buildings and other civilian sites across the Kyiv region.
“Today I saw some of the consequences of this attack with my own eyes,” Davis said.
“Deliberate strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable.”
The ambassador added that the United States extends its condolences to everyone affected by the attack.
“We express our deepest sympathies to all those affected by this terrible tragedy,” Davis said.
Meanwhile, Russia continues with smaller attacks against Ukrainian civilians. “At around 23:50, Russian forces attacked the settlement of Andriivka in the Izium district with drones, injuring three people and damaging residential buildings and other buildings,” local officials said.
“A 77-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman sustained injuries, while a 48-year-old woman was suffering from shock.
“At around midnight, a Russian drone struck the canopy of a petrol station in Chuhuiv, injuring a 54-year-old employee. A fire also broke out at the site, damaging the building, equipment, and vehicles.”
Russia also carried out an airstrike on the center of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast on May 25, injuring at least 12 civilians, regional authorities reported.
The strike hit areas near apartment buildings in the city center, causing damage to residential infrastructure. The full extent of the destruction is still being assessed.
Russian forces dropped two FAB-250 aerial bombs on the city at around 5:52 pm local time, according to Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko.
"This was the third large-scale attack on Kramatorsk within a single day," Honcharenko said, adding that emergency services, rescue teams, and medics were working at the scene.
A combined Russian missile-and-drone attack hit Odesa region today, killing one person and injuring four others. Officials said the strike damaged an infrastructure facility, a school, and nearby residential buildings.
In the past, President Trump has blamed Ukraine for the intensification of Russian attacks against its cities and infrastructures, which is tantamount to blaming the rape victim for being raped. Today, Trump, who has been informed of Putin’s plans, is faced with an identical situation: Will he make flippant and insulting comments about Ukraine, or will he stand strong in supporting Ukraine by following in the footsteps of Gen. Curtis LeMay and “bomb them (Russia) back to the Stone Age.”