Zelenskiy cuts short S.Africa trip after Russian strike on Kyiv
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he would cut short a trip to South Africa on Thursday and return to Kyiv following a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian capital.
Zelenskiy, who has been trying to shore up international support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s invasion, said he would immediately travel back to Ukraine after meeting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will hold all necessary meetings in South Africa to fully inform the country’s political and public leaders about the situation,” Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram app.
Russia pounded Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight, killing at least eight people, wounding more than 70 and smashing buildings in the biggest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.
Meanwhile, Russia – fresh after launching deadly attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight – accused Ukrainian president Zelenskiy of wrecking diplomacy aimed at reaching a peace deal after he refused to agree to recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, Reuters reported.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters that it was becoming clearer by the minute that Zelenskiy lacked the capacity to negotiate a deal to end the war.
Zakharova said decisions by European countries to continue supplying weapons to Kyiv were encouraging Zelenskiy to pursue the war, regardless of casualties, Reuters reported.
Their attitude showed some European countries were frightened by the prospect of a Russian victory, Russia’s Zakharova claimed.
215 Russian strikes on Ukraine over night
Russia fired at least 70 missiles and 145 drones at Ukraine overnight, the main target being Kyiv where at least nine people were killed, the Ukrainian air force said.In a statement on social media, the air force said it had “detected and tracked 215 enemy air targets” – including ballistic and cruise missiles – of which 112 were “confirmed to have been shot down,” AFP reported.
The post added that F-16 and Mirage fighter jets played “an active part in repelling the attack,” with Ukrainian pilots shooting down “dozens” of missiles.
