Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky abruptly ended part of his visit to South Africa on Thursday after a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv killed at least eight people and injured over 70 others.
The attacks, which targeted Ukraine’s capital overnight, came despite its fortified air defences and further complicated global efforts to broker peace. Kyiv was struck with at least 70 missiles and 145 drones, according to Ukraine’s air force, which reported intercepting over half of the projectiles. Devastation spread across 13 locations in the capital, with civilians still being pulled from the rubble hours later.
Zelensky condemned the continued assaults, reiterating Ukraine’s commitment to a ceasefire. "It has been 44 days since Ukraine agreed to halt strikes—and 44 days of Russia continuing to kill our people," he wrote on social media platform X. After meeting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zelensky announced his immediate return to Kyiv.
Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said the death toll stood at eight, correcting earlier reports of nine fatalities. He also noted that two children were among those missing as rescue operations continued.
The latest barrage follows earlier deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities in April, including a strike on Sumy that killed 35 and another on Kryvyi Rih—Zelensky’s hometown—that left 19 dead, including nine children.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump stirred controversy by criticizing Zelensky’s refusal to accept Russia’s occupation of Crimea as a condition for peace, calling it an obstacle to ending the conflict. Moscow has shown little interest in ceasefire proposals, with President Vladimir Putin rejecting recent calls for an unconditional halt to attacks on civilians.
The conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, shows no sign of abating, as Russia also launched fresh attacks on Kharkiv and claimed to have downed 87 Ukrainian drones, including 45 over Crimea.