Air raid alerts sounded in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and its surroundings today, Friday, during the visit of African leaders to the country on a peace mission. Ukrainian authorities issued the alert after the Air Force reported that several Kalibr missiles were launched from the Black Sea and "are heading north" towards Kyiv.
The Kyiv Military Administration stated that "Ukrainian forces have put air defense systems on alert outside the capital and urged residents to head to shelters." Meanwhile, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko noted that "explosions shook the Podil area in central Kyiv due to air defense systems" and warned that "more missiles are heading towards the capital." Klitschko wrote on the Telegram app that there were no material losses in the capital.
The South African presidency indicated via its official Twitter account that "the President of the country, Cyril Ramaphosa, arrived in Ukraine today as part of an African peace mission." Ramaphosa is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today, then travel to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg tomorrow.
Following the airstrike, the South African presidency tweeted, "The mission is proceeding well and as planned." The African leaders are seeking to agree on a series of "confidence-building measures," but Kyiv stated that its peace initiative should serve as the foundation for any settlement. The Kremlin has minimized the chances of fruitful peace talks with Kyiv, stating that the conditions for a peace process have not been met, but it is ready to listen and open to external initiatives.
