A massive Russian strike on the capital of Ukraine kills several people, hurts dozens Blogging Sole

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that he had interrupted his official trip to South Africa and returned home after a Russian strike on the Ukrainian capital, kyiv, killed at least eight people and injured more than 70.

Zelenskyy said in a telegram that he would return to kyiv after meeting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Ukrainian chief had hoped to recruit another South African support in end efforts The war of his country with Russianow in its fourth year.

The attack on Kyiv occurred a few hours after the peace negotiations seemed to wedge on Wednesday, with the president Trump unleashing in ZelenskyySaying that he was extending the “field of killing” by pushing the Ceding of Crimea in Russia as part of a potential peace plan. Later in the day, Trump said “it was more difficult” to face Zelenskyy than in Russia.

Zelenskyy said on several occasions that recognizing occupied territory as Russian is a red line for his country. He noted on Thursday that Ukraine had accepted a proposal for a ceasefire from the United States 44 days ago, in the first step towards a negotiated peace, but that the attacks of Russia continued.

While the discussions have been held in recent weeks, Russia has struck the city of Sumy, killing more than 30 civilians gathered to celebrate twigs on Sunday, beaten Odesa with drones and Zaporizhzhia bent with powerful Glide bombs.

The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, said on social networks that “brutal strikes” have shown that Russia, not Ukraine, was the obstacle to peace, according to the reuters news agency.

According to Reuters, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday that Zelensky refused to make concessions in peace talks and only accept a cease-fire on her own conditions.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko told Reuters that eight people had been confirmed in the capital. Officials had declared earlier that nine had been killed.

The military administration of Kyiv City declared on its telegram channel that Russia had struck Kyiv with ballistic drones and missiles. At least 45 drones have been detected, said the administration, adding that Ukraine’s Air Force would update the figures later.

At least 42 people were hospitalized in Kyiv, said the Ukraine State Emergency Service. The operations were still underway on Thursday in search of the body under the rubble.

In a residential building in Kyiv which was almost entirely destroyed, the emergencies withdrew rubble with their hands, saving a woman trapped who emerged from the wreck covered with white dust and moaning of pain.

An elderly woman seated against a brick wall, her face stamped with blood, her eyes fixed to the ground in shock while the doctors took care of her injuries.

Fires have been reported in several residential buildings, said Tymur Tkachenko, the city’s military administration chief.

The attack, which started around 1:00, struck at least five districts in kyiv. In the district of Sviatoshynskyi, a fire broke out in a residential building which was damaged during the attack.

The Associated Press saw the rescue teams dig people trapped under the rubble of the building and the bodies removed.

Oksana Bilozir, a student, suffered a head injury in the attack. With blood that infiltrates her blindfolded head, she said that she had heard a strong explosion after the air alarm has burned and started grabbing her things to flee to a refuge when another explosion was collapsing and the lights of her house and the lights go out.

“Honestly, I don’t even know how it all ends; it is very scary,” said Bilozir, referring to the war against the invasion of Russia. “I only believe that if we can stop them on the battlefield, then that’s it. No diplomacy works here. ”

More fires have been reported in the Shevchenkivsky and Holosiivskyi districts.

Anastasiia Zhuravlova, 33, mother of two, sheltered in a basement after several explosions damaged his house. His family was sleeping when the first explosion broke their windows and sent steering wheel aircraft in the air. Glass shards have rained on them as they rushed to cover themselves in the corridor.

“After that, we came to the refuge because it was frightening and dangerous at home,” she said.