Child among three killed in Russian missile attacks near Kyiv

In the early hours of Saturday, Russian missile attacks near Kyiv resulted in at least three fatalities, including a child, as witnesses reported powerful explosions. The blasts, occurring days after earlier strikes that claimed 21 lives, caused damage to buildings and vehicles, while a fire broke out at another location, according to regional military administration head Timur Tkachenko.

Three additional individuals sustained injuries from the ballistic missile strikes, and emergency crews were busy battling fires at a building and fuel tank in Kyiv, as Mayor Vitaly Klitchko reported on social media platform Telegram. Ukraine's state emergency service shared photos of garages, a business, and a burning structure in Kyiv, stating that the exact number of casualties was being confirmed.

President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Belgrade, Serbia's capital, for his maiden visit to the country after expressing concerns over Ukraine's dwindling interceptor stockpiles, which he believes could have mitigated casualties during recent missile assaults. Zelensky sought to bolster support for Ukraine, yet Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić declined to impose sanctions on Russia, despite Serbia's efforts to join the EU and extend aid to Ukraine.

Zelensky had previously criticized the delayed delivery of anti-ballistic systems from allies, which he claimed has resulted in "horrific casualties and destruction." Recently, Ukraine targeted two oil refineries inside Russia and Russian vessels in the Black Sea, aiming to curb oil revenues that fund Russia's war efforts. However, mediation talks have thus far failed to resolve the escalating hostilities between the two nations.