Russia Warns Civilians To Leave Kyiv As It Threatens To Flatten City

The Russian military said Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2022, it will carry out strikes against the facilities in Kyiv, warning civilians living near the areas to leave, Nathan Hodge reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: Ukrainian soldiers

The Russians will target the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the 72nd Main Center for Information and Psychological Operations (PSO) in Kyiv, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement Tuesday via Russian state news agency TASS but those two agencies have apparently relocated.

Moreover, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system has expanded its coverage in Ukraine, giving broadcasters and internet users better communications access.

"In order to suppress information attacks against Russia, the technological facilities of the SBU and the 72nd main PSO center in Kyiv will be hit with high-precision weapons," the statement said, according to TASS.

"We call on Ukrainian citizens attracted by Ukrainian nationalists to carry out provocations against Russia, as well as residents of Kyiv living near relay nodes leave their homes."

Speaking about the "relay nodes," CNN's Clarissa Ward said "we understand that to mean communications towers. So large antennas, things of that nature."

She added: "This is not a surprise in a sense that people here have been bracing themselves for an uptick in the Russian onslaught. Up until now, most attacks have really been targeting the outskirts of the city. But now it appears that things will move to the center of the capital as so many had feared."

A massive 40-mile-long Russian military convoy — made up of armored vehicles, tanks, towed artillery, and other logistical vehicles — has reached the outskirts of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed.

Russia has claimed it is not hitting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine but social media videos, photos and satellite images analyzed and geolocated by CNN confirm that Russian forces have attacked densely populated areas.

The UN says that at least 102 civilians have been killed across the country and 304 injured, though those figures are likely to underestimate the true toll.

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