Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is cutting short his official trip to South Africa and returning home after a Russian strike on Kyiv. Image: GCIS.
(The Post News)– Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cut short his official visit to South Africa after a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv left at least nine people dead and more than 70 injured. The Ukrainian capital was pounded overnight in what emergency services described as one of the deadliest assaults recently.
Zelenskyy, who was in Pretoria for meetings with President Cyril Ramaphosa, confirmed on Thursday morning that he would return to Ukraine immediately, handing over his diplomatic duties in South Africa to Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. He said the attacks were a grim reminder that while talks of peace have been ongoing, the war on the ground has never paused.
“For 44 days now, we’ve upheld a ceasefire agreement backed by the United States,” Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel, adding that Russia continues to slaughter people without facing serious repercussions for its acts.
The Ukrainian State Emergency Service reported that at least 42 people were hospitalised in Kyiv, where missiles struck several residential neighbourhoods. Rescue teams worked through the night, combing through the debris of collapsed buildings with flashlights and pulling survivors from the wreckage.
Meanwhile, many residents spent the night in bomb shelters, clutching their children and pets, as explosions rocked the city. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs condemned the strikes as a violation of international humanitarian law. “Civilians must never be targets. This senseless use of force must stop,” the UN agency said in a public statement.
The strikes on Kyiv came just hours after a separate attack on the eastern city of Sumy killed more than 30 civilians gathered for Palm Sunday and amid ongoing Russian assaults on other cities including Odesa and Zaporizhzhia. The timing of the Kyiv strike has drawn fresh attention to stalled peace negotiations. While Ukrainian officials say they remain open to dialogue, Moscow’s military campaign continues. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not consider ceding territory such as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
US President Donald Trump previously weighed in from Washington, accusing Zelenskyy of dragging out the conflict by refusing to negotiate on Crimea. But Zelenskyy dismissed the comments, maintaining that handing over occupied land would be a betrayal of Ukrainian sovereignty.
The visit to South Africa had been part of a broader diplomatic push by Kyiv to build support across the Global South. But following the attacks, Ukraine’s president said there were more urgent priorities back home. “All necessary meetings will still take place,” Zelenskyy said, “but for now, my place is in Ukraine.”
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