00:00While President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was on midair to South Africa on Wednesday,
00:05President Vladimir Putin-led Russia engaged the Ukrainian capital,
00:09Kiev-like never before since the full-scale war began on February 24, 2022,
00:16with disastrous murderous rainy air bombardments, causing 10 deaths and over 80 people injured,
00:22with military intelligence suggesting that President Vladimir Putin may have launched
00:26the massive attacks on the Ukrainian capital as a calculated distraction to President Volodymyr
00:32Zelensky over his visit to South Africa where Zelensky had planned to meet with representatives
00:37of civil, political and student communities from different Africa countries, a continent,
00:43it appears, Russia has built tighter relations within recent years in the struggle for geopolitical
00:49supremacy against its rivals in the world powers like the US and France, which, Africa countries
00:55like Senegal, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, had cut military ties with France
01:03and expelled its troops, and some of the Africa countries like Chad and Niger have also expelled
01:09US troops and cut military ties with the White House, and they all, including South Africa
01:15have moved closer to Russia but since June 2023 when South Africa President, Cyril Ramaphosa
01:22led an African leaders peace mission to Ukraine and Russia where they both met with Zelensky and Putin
01:28after the failed peace initiative, Ukraine has stepped up its relations in the Africa continent
01:34by sharing technological and military experience with African nations, donating grains, opening
01:40additional embassies in the Africa continent with Ivory Coast and Democratic Republic of Congo,
01:46DRC already established out of the 10 new embassies pledged in 2023, which President Volodymyr Zelensky
01:54said in December 2023 that one of Ukraine's foreign policy priorities for 2024 is continuing to develop
02:01ties with African countries, as Moscow seeks to expand its influence on the continent.
02:07Zelensky, shortly after arriving in South Africa early morning on Thursday night, said,
02:13he will cut short his visit in South Africa and return home due to the Russia air bombardments
02:18from Wednesday night till Thursday morning in Kyiv. Zelensky still held a planned meeting with the
02:25South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa at the government's union buildings in Pretoria.
02:31Shortly after arriving in South Africa, Zelensky tweeted on his ex-social media handle that,
02:37we are preparing for important meetings in South Africa with President Cyril Ramaphosa
02:42and representatives of political, civil, and student communities of African countries.
02:48Condemning Russia attacks on Kyiv, Zelensky said, it is an honor for me to be in the Republic of South
02:54Africa today on my first visit. This morning, our country endured another Russian attack,
03:00a massive one, with over 200 aerial threats, missiles, including ballistic ones, and attack drones.
03:07Unfortunately, there have been destructions and losses in our capital and other cities.
03:13Over 80 people have been wounded in these strikes. Tragically, there are fatalities. In Kyiv,
03:20among those killed were a brother and sister, the young man was 21, and the young woman was 19.
03:27My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. Rescue operations are still ongoing.
03:33Because of this Russian attack, I have decided to shorten the program of my visit to South Africa.
03:39However, our Minister for Foreign Affairs remains here, as a sign of our respect and to carry out
03:45all the meetings that were scheduled. We are grateful for the respect shown to Ukraine,
03:50for the support, and for the shared sense. The sense that this war must be brought to an end as
03:55soon as possible. Today, President Cyril Ramaphosa and I discussed the importance of uniting global
04:02efforts as fully as possible now to apply the necessary pressure on Russia. Pressure for the
04:08sake of peace. We also spoke about the opportunities within the G20 framework. South Africa currently holds
04:16the G20 presidency, and the role of the Group of 20 can be significantly greater in defending human life.
04:23Earlier, Zelensky said, it has been 44 days since Ukraine agreed to a full ceasefire and a halt to
04:29strikes. This was a proposal from the United States, and it has been 44 days of Russia continuing to kill
04:37our people and evading tough pressure and accountability for its actions. It is extremely important that everyone
04:44around the world sees and understands what is really happening. Nearly 70 missiles, including ballistic
04:51ones, and about 150 attack drones. Unfortunately, there is significant destruction, rescue operations
04:59are ongoing, and the rubble of residential buildings is being cleared. As of this moment, over 80 people
05:06have been injured across Ukraine. Everyone is receiving the necessary assistance. Regrettably,
05:13nine people have been killed in Kyiv. My condolences go out to their families and loved ones. There was a
05:19report from the military command. I instructed the Minister of Defense of Ukraine to immediately
05:25contact our partners regarding our requests to strengthen air defenses. Today, I will brief President
05:32Ramaphosa of South Africa, who currently holds the G20 presidency, on the situation and our need to
05:38intensify global diplomatic efforts. The strikes must be stopped immediately and unconditionally.
05:45We also count on support in humanitarian matters, in the return of our prisoners and Ukrainian children
05:51abducted by Russia. I am cancelling part of the programme for this visit and will return to Ukraine
05:57immediately after the meeting with the President of South Africa. The Foreign Minister of Ukraine will hold
06:03all the necessary meetings in South Africa to fully inform the country's political and civil society
06:09leaders about the situation. I am grateful to everyone around the world who stands with Ukraine
06:15and supports our people. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump of the United States, US on Thursday called
06:22on Vladimir Putin to halt attacks on Ukraine, in a rare rebuke of the Russian leader after Moscow fired a
06:29barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv, killing at least 10 in the deadliest attack on the capital in months.
06:36The direct appeal to Putin came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his allies to
06:41put Russia under more pressure to halt its invasion. I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv,
06:48Trump said on social media. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, stop, he said,
06:56let's get the peace deal done. Trump's envoy Steve Wyckoff is due in Russia this week where he is
07:02expected to hold talks with Putin on a possible deal, his fourth since Trump returned to the White
07:08House in January. Ukraine has been batted with aerial attacks throughout Russia's three-year
07:13invasion but deadly strikes on Kyiv, better protected by air defences than other cities, are less common,
07:20according to AFP. The attacks threw more doubt on already-fraught US efforts to push Russia and
07:26Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, with Trump having lashed out at Zelensky this week for not being
07:32willing to accept Russian occupation of Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014.
07:38We do everything that our partners have proposed, only what contradicts our legislation and the
07:43constitution we cannot do, Zelensky told reporters in South Africa in response to a question about
07:50Crimea. Zelensky also questioned whether Kyiv's allies were themselves doing enough to force Putin
07:56to agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire. I don't see any strong pressure on Russia or any
08:02new sanctions packages against Russia's aggression, Zelensky said, highlighting that Trump had
08:08previously warned of repercussions if Moscow did not agree to pause the fighting.
08:14The strikes must be stopped immediately and unconditionally, Zelensky said, calling Thursday
08:20morning's aerial assault, one of the most sophisticated, most brazen, of the entire war.
08:26Loud blasts sounded over the Ukrainian capital at around 1 am, 2200 GMT, after air raid sirens rang out
08:35across Kyiv, AFP journalists on the ground said. Rescuers on Thursday afternoon said 10 people were
08:42killed and 90 injured. Russia said it had targeted Ukraine's defense industry, including plants that
08:49produced rocket fuel and gunpowder, AFP reported. We have reported that the Ukrainian president,
08:56Volodymyr Zelensky has accused China government led by President Xi Jinping of helping Russia by thus
09:02allegedly sending the country's weapon production workers to Russia to be producing gunpowder,
09:07artillery, among other military weapons, the enemy neighboring country, Russia under President
09:13Vladimir Putin are using to attack and destroy Ukraine. This, Zelensky confirmed that Russia
09:19attacked Kharkiv with ballistic missiles as Christians set to mark this year Good Friday,
09:24which do herald the celebration of Easter, just as the United States government through the office of
09:29the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio also on Friday said that if the war in Ukraine can't be stopped,
09:37the U.S. will move on, because, the U.S. is not the cause of the war,
09:41and the North America country has been helping Ukraine since the start of the war, three years ago.
09:51bringing the news in a more digital world.
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