Zelenskyy Cuts South Africa Visit Short After Deadly Russian Strikes: Nine Killed in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is cutting short his diplomatic visit to South Africa and returning home immediately following a devastating overnight Russian missile and drone assault on Kyiv that killed at least nine people and injured more than 70. The attack, the deadliest in the capital since July 2024, has reignited global condemnation and further complicated already fraught peace negotiations.

Zelenskyy confirmed in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that he will still meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as scheduled, but he will cancel all other engagements in the country. “The strikes must be stopped immediately and unconditionally,” he said. “I am grateful to everyone around the world who stands with Ukraine.”

Kyiv in Ruins: “It’s a Crime Against Civilians”

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, residents of Kyiv awoke to the sound of explosions as Russia launched what Ukrainian officials described as a multi-pronged attack involving 70 missiles and 150 drones. The air force reported intercepting a significant number of the projectiles, yet several penetrated defenses, striking residential areas.

BBC reporter Jon Donnison described scenes of devastation.

“A row of apartment buildings has been flattened. Emergency workers are searching for survivors in the rubble. It’s here where we believe the nine casualties occurred.”

Among the local voices was Lilya Yedamenko, 52, who lives opposite one of the destroyed buildings. “These kinds of crimes against civilians are being committed with the silent consent of the Western world,” she said. “We are all connected politically and energetically, and tolerating crimes like those Russia does against civilians in Ukraine will affect the whole humanity.”

Diplomatic Fallout: Tensions with the West and Russia’s Accusations

As Zelenskyy prepared to leave South Africa, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of breaking the Easter truce Moscow had announced. “Zelensky is totally unable to keep agreements,” she said, further branding Ukrainian forces as “militarised gangs of neo-Nazis and mercenaries.”

Ukraine has strongly rejected these claims. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded, “The brutal strikes show that Russia, not Ukraine, is the obstacle to peace. Putin demonstrates through his actions, not words, that he does not respect any peace efforts.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal also decried the attacks. He states Russia had “terrorised Ukrainian cities all night long,” with ongoing rescue operations as “phone calls can still be heard from the wreckage.”

Zelensky Meets Ramaphosa

The hastily abridged state visit to South Africa was significant. This was the first African trip by President Zelenskyy outside Cape Verde since he took office in 2019. The visit aimed to broaden Ukraine’s diplomatic reach, particularly in regions where Russian influence remains strong.

Images from Pretoria showed a cordial greeting between Zelensky and Ramaphosa before the Ukrainian president announced his immediate return home.

For Ramaphosa, the meeting came shortly after a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, in which both leaders reportedly agreed the war in Ukraine “should be brought to an end as soon as possible.” Ramaphosa posted, “We discussed the need to foster good relations between our two countries.”

Trump’s Role

Back in Washington, President Trump continues to exert pressure on Ukraine to accept a peace deal. Speaking critically of Zelensky’s unwillingness to cede occupied territories, Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of prolonging the “killing field.”

His stance has sparked outrage among Kyiv residents and political leaders. Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko told the BBC: “I hope Trump will understand that to achieve peace, you need to put pressure not just on Ukraine but on Russia too. There are red lines we cannot cross—such as recognising occupied territories as Russian.”

Analysts in Moscow say the Kremlin is watching Trump’s posture closely. Russian media has painted Ukraine and Europe as obstacles to Trump’s peace plan. They hope any a U.S. withdrawal from negotiations would shift blame onto Kyiv and Brussels.

South Africa’s Delicate Dance

Zelenskyy’s visit to Pretoria also reflects a broader realignment of diplomatic relations. Both Ukraine and South Africa have found themselves increasingly alienated from the United States since Trump’s return. Washington has cut all aid to South Africa and accused its government of persecuting the white Afrikaner minority—offering them refugee status in the U.S.

“Two years ago, this meeting would have been unthinkable,” observed Mayeni Jones, the BBC’s Africa Correspondent. “South Africa was seen as sympathetic to Moscow, while Kyiv was frustrated by its neutrality. Now, both countries are reassessing their alliances.”

Ukraine hopes South Africa can help advocate for the return of over 19,000 Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russian forces, a gesture that would signal Pretoria’s evolving position in the conflict.

Global Reactions and the Road Ahead

The overnight bombardment has drawn international condemnation, though many Ukrainians like Yedamenko remain sceptical about the West’s resolve.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that 77 people were injured, including six children. “People are still trapped under rubble,” he said, as emergency workers combed through destroyed buildings in the capital and in cities like Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zhytomyr.

While F-16s and French Mirage jets helped intercept some of the missiles, the scale and intensity of Russia’s attacks suggest that, despite diplomatic efforts, peace remains a distant hope.

Mimi Mefo Info