The Russian Ministry of Defense did not spare central Kyiv out of humanitarian concern. From the opening days of the full-scale invasion, Russian forces have carried out systematic missile and drone strikes against residential areas, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure across Kyiv, including its central districts. The ministry's own statement undercuts its humanitarian framing further: it contains explicit threats against the civilian population - language that is irreconcilable with any credible claim of restraint.
Russian Telegram channels and state media are amplifying a May 4, 2026, statement by Russia's Ministry of Defense claiming that Moscow had previously "refrained, for humanitarian reasons," from launching missile strikes on the center of the Ukrainian capital.