Zelenskyy ends South Africa visit after deadly Russian attack on Kyiv; criticizes Russia's peace intentions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is abruptly ending his state visit to South Africa following a series of deadly missile and drone strikes carried out by Russian forces on Kyiv overnight. The assault, which Ukrainian authorities described as one of the most intense in recent weeks, resulted in the deaths of nine people and left more than 60 others injured, including several children.

Zelenskyy had only just arrived in South Africa on Wednesday evening when news of the attack broke. His visit came amid fresh criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who blamed Zelenskyy for prolonging the ongoing war by refusing to relinquish Crimea to Russia.

During his visit, Zelenskyy was scheduled to hold talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The agenda was expected to focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation and exploring avenues for peace. Ramaphosa has consistently expressed interest in serving as a mediator in the conflict, leveraging South Africa’s diplomatic ties with Russia through the BRICS alliance.

However, Zelenskyy has expressed deep skepticism regarding Moscow’s commitment to peace. He cited the failure of previous agreements, including a proposed Easter ceasefire, which he said was violated as Russian forces continued their military aggression.