Berlin summons the Russian ambassador after calls from Moscow to leave Kyiv and renewed threats of strikes.

Germany summoned the Russian ambassador to Berlin on Tuesday following renewed Russian airstrikes in Ukraine and calls from Moscow for foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv "as soon as possible." Berlin denounced a strategy of "threats, terror, and escalation" and reaffirmed its support for Ukraine.

In a statement, the German Foreign Ministry asserted that recent Russian attacks targeted, among other things, German hospitals, schools, and television studios. It also reported that the German diplomatic mission in Kyiv had been asked to leave the Ukrainian capital.

In response to this situation, the German government indicated that it had summoned the Russian ambassador to formally convey its rejection of these warnings. Berlin stated that it would not yield to pressure from Moscow.

"We made it clear to Russia today: we will not be intimidated by threats and we will continue to firmly support Ukraine," the German Foreign Ministry said.

This decision comes amid heightened tensions, after Russia announced it was preparing a new series of "systematic strikes" targeting, according to them, military installations in Kyiv. Moscow also urged foreign diplomats and civilians to leave the Ukrainian capital.

Since the start of the conflict, diplomatic relations between Russia and several European countries have deteriorated sharply, with Western states accusing Moscow of intensifying its military operations against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Berlin is among Kyiv's main political and military backers within the European Union.