Russia warns Kyiv residents ahead of attacks on intel sites

Russian troops will carry out an attack on what they said was the infrastructure of Ukraine's intelligence services in Kyiv and urged residents living nearby to leave, the defence ministry said Tuesday.

"In order to suppress information attacks on Russia, the technological infrastructure of the SBU (Ukraine's Security Service) and the 72nd main PSO (Psychological Operations Unit) centre in Kyiv will be hit with high-precision weapons," defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

"We call on... Kyiv residents living near relay nodes to leave their homes," Konashenkov added. His statement comes as Russian troops are ramping up efforts to take Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

Ukrainian authorities have accused the Russian army of carrying out strikes on residential areas in several cities, including the eastern city of Kharkiv, where fierce fighting is taking place. Russia says it does not target civilians, despite evidence otherwise. Ukraine says up to 350 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded.