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Russia’s Parliament Speaker Calls for Terror Against Ukrainian Civilians, Ukraine MFA Responds
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Statements by Pyotr Tolstoy, deputy speaker of the Russian State Duma, regarding strikes on Ukrainian urban centers amount to public calls for war crimes, according to Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian diplomatic representative emphasized that such declarations from Russian figures demand the creation of unlivable conditions for civilians. He added that these public comments warrant an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
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Regarding the suggestion of surrender, Tykhyi stated, "As for raised hands, the only reason to raise them would be to show Tolstoy and his fellow war criminals the middle finger."
Such statements by a Russian official calling for war crimes and demanding unbearable living conditions for civilians should lead to an ICC arrest warrant.
— Heorhii Tykhyi (@SpoxUkraineMFA) August 28, 2026
As for "raised hands"—the only reason to raise them is to give Tolstoy and his fellow war criminals the middle finger. https://t.co/pJ6Ev3vsL7
The response followed statements made by Tolstoy on Russian state television, where he advocated for launching strikes against Ukrainian cities with a one-day advance warning.
He claimed the goal was "to demoralize the public so much that they would come out to meet our troops with their paws up."
Russian forces continuously use a range of weaponry, including attack drones, missiles, guided aerial bombs, and multiple launch rocket systems, to strike Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure in regions across the country.
Ukrainian authorities and international bodies classify these strikes as deliberate war crimes committed by Russia. Systematic bombardment targeting life-support systems and medical facilities to deprive the population of electricity, heat, water, communications, and medical care constitutes evidence of genocidal actions.
Previously, in a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Russian forces were initiating systematic strikes on facilities in Kyiv.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Moscow explicitly urged the United States to ensure the evacuation of its diplomatic personnel from the Ukrainian capital, framing the planned escalation as retaliation for a Ukrainian strike in Russian-occupied Starobilske.
However, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine rejected those claims as misinformation and confirmed that Ukrainian forces had targeted a Russian military command post rather than civilian infrastructure, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Western allies not to yield to Russian blackmail.
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