Zelensky cuts short South African trip after Russian strike on Kyiv kills nine
Fires were reported in several residential buildings, said the head of the city military administration.
Russia attacked Kyiv with an hours-long barrage of missiles and drones, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 70 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since last July and just as peace efforts are coming to a head.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the attack that he is cutting short his official trip to South Africa and returning home, as the city reeled from the bombardment that kept residents on edge for around 11 hours.
It appeared to be Russia’s biggest attack on Kyiv in nine months, and Mr Zelensky branded it as “one of (Russia’s) most outrageous”.
The attack drew a rare rebuke of Russian President Vladimir Putin from US President Donald Trump, who said he was “not happy” with it.
“Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!” Mr Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Senior US officials have warned that the Trump administration could soon give up its efforts to stop the war if the two sides don’t compromise.
Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko announced that Friday would be an official day of mourning in the capital.
The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired 66 ballistic and cruise missiles, four plane-launched air-to-surface missiles, and 145 Shahed and decoy drones at Kyiv and four other regions of Ukraine.
Rescue workers with flashlights scoured the charred rubble of partly collapsed homes as the blue lights of emergency vehicles lit up the dark city streets.
The attack came as weeks of peace negotiations appeared to be culminating without an agreement in sight and hours after Mr Trump lashed out at Mr Zelensky, accusing him of prolonging the “killing field” by refusing to surrender the Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula as part of a possible deal.
Mr Zelensky has repeated many times during the more than three-year war that recognising occupied territory as Russian is a red line for his country.
He noted that Ukraine had agreed to a US ceasefire proposal 44 days ago, as a first step to a negotiated peace, but that Russia’s attacks had continued.
He said in South Africa that the latest attack meant the future of negotiations “depends on Russia’s intention because it is in Moscow where they have to make a decision”.
While talks have been ongoing in recent weeks, Russia has hit the city of Sumy, killing more than 30 civilians gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, battered Odesa with drones and blasted Zaporizhzhia with powerful glide bombs.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said the attack underscored that the main obstacle to ending the war is Russia.
“While claiming to seek peace, Russia launched a deadly airstrike on Kyiv,” she wrote on social media. “This isn’t a pursuit of peace, it’s a mockery of it.”
Senior US officials have warned that the Trump administration could soon give up its efforts to stop the war if the two sides don’t compromise.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attack showed Mr Putin is determined to press his bigger army’s advantage on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where it currently holds the momentum.
“Putin demonstrates through his actions, not words, that he does not respect any peace efforts and only wants to continue the war,” Mr Sybiha said on X.
“Weakness and concessions will not stop his terror and aggression. Only strength and pressure will.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal noted that since Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of its neighbour, Russian attacks haves killed some 13,000 civilians, including 618 children.
At least 42 people were taken to local hospitals following Russia’s attack on Kyiv, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. Rescue operations to find bodies under the rubble were still underway on Thursday morning.
Fires were reported in several residential buildings, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city military administration.
Rescue operations were still under way on Thursday morning to find bodies under the rubble.
The attack, which began at around 1am, hit at least four neighbourhoods in Kyiv.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district, a fire broke out in a residential building that was damaged in the attack.
The Associated Press saw rescue teams dig out people trapped under the rubble of the building and bodies being taken away.
Oksana Bilozir, a student, was receiving medical care for a head injury near the impact site.
She said that she heard a loud explosion after the air alarm blared and began to grab her things to flee to a shelter, when another blast caused her home’s walls to crumble and the lights to go off.
“I honestly don’t even know how this will all end, it’s very scary,” said Ms Bilozir, referring to the war against Russia’s invasion.
“I only believe that if we can stop them on the battlefield, then that’s it. No diplomacy works here.”
More fires were reported in the Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi districts.
Anastasiia Zhuravlova, 33, a mother-of-two, was sheltering in a basement after multiple blasts damaged her home.
Her family was sleeping when the first explosion shattered their windows and sent kitchen appliances flying into the air.
Shards of glass rained down on them as they rushed to take cover in the corridor.
“After that, we came to the shelter because it was scary and dangerous at home,” she said.
