Russia Launches Major Strikes Across Ukraine as Zelenskyy Cuts South Africa Visit Short
A wave of coordinated Russian missile strikes has hit multiple regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, according to Ukraine’s emergency services. The capital, Kyiv, suffered the heaviest damage in what officials described as a “massive combined Russian attack.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had traveled to South Africa to hold talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa, announced he would cut the trip short due to the escalation at home. “I will return to Ukraine immediately after my meeting with the President of South Africa,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
While Zelenskyy departs, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister will stay behind to continue scheduled diplomatic engagements. “The Foreign Minister of Ukraine will hold all the necessary meetings in South Africa to fully inform the country’s political and civil society leaders about the situation,” Zelenskyy confirmed.
The latest round of attacks comes amid increased international pressure on Zelenskyy. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressing Zelenskyy to accept a proposed peace deal that heavily favors Russia. On Wednesday, Trump criticized Zelenskyy for refusing to acknowledge Russia’s control over Crimea, a key sticking point in negotiations.
“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that make it so difficult to settle this war. He has nothing to boast about!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Responding firmly, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Moscow—not Kyiv—remains the main obstacle to peace. “Yesterday’s Russian maximalist demands for Ukraine to withdraw from its regions, combined with these brutal strikes, show that Russia, not Ukraine, is the obstacle to peace,” Sybiha stated Thursday morning. “Moscow, not Kyiv, is where pressure should be applied.”
Reporting contributed by Veronika Melkozerova.













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