Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he will be cutting short a visit to South Africa on Thursday to urgently return to Kyiv after a Russian strike on the capital Kyiv killed at least nine people.

 "I am cancelling part of the program for this visit and will return to Ukraine immediately after the meeting with the President of South Africa," Zelensky, who arrived in the country hours earlier, said on social media.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in South Africa on Thursday morning for talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa on bilateral cooperation and efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

Zelenskiy has been trying to shore up international support for Kyiv's war effort amid growing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said last week that Washington could walk away if there was no clear progress on a peace deal soon.

Commenting on the visit, Zelenskiy posted on X that he would meet Ramaphosa as well as other political and civil representatives. "It is crucial to bring a just peace closer," he added.

South Africa, which maintains good relations with Russia, has remained neutral in the conflict which began in 2022.

Peace efforts

"The visit provides South Africa and Ukraine with an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations... It will also explore areas of cooperation with the objective to support efforts to bring lasting peace," Ramaphosa's office said in a statement.

Ramaphosa held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, stating on X that the two leaders had affirmed "strong bilateral relations" and a commitment to work together toward a peaceful resolution of the war.

Zelenskiy on Wednesday said there needed to be an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire, with Moscow repeating that Ukraine did not rule out any format of talks that could lead to a ceasefire.

Zelenskiy's visit is the first by a Ukrainian head of state to South Africa. Ramaphosa and Zelenskiy have met multiple times, including in Kyiv in 2023, as part of a mediation attempt by African leaders which did not achieve notable results.