Intl desk: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s latest deadly attacks on Kyiv as he visited Serbia on Saturday, a European country that has maintained close ties with Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Four people, including a child, were killed in overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region, while Ukrainian forces attacked Russian oil facilities.
Zelenskyy arrived in Belgrade on Friday for his first official visit to Serbia, reports AP.
At a joint news conference with Zelenskyy, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called Ukraine a “friendly nation” and said he was pleased to host the Ukrainian leader. It was the first visit by a Ukrainian president to Serbia in eight years.
The two leaders discussed their countries’ efforts to join the European Union, bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation.
Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine regularly come under Russian drone and missile attacks. Ukraine’s air defenses have struggled to cope with the scale of the attacks as its supply of interceptors remains limited.
At the same time, Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities have become increasingly frequent, causing fuel shortages and putting pressure on Moscow.
Patriot missile supplies slow
Vucic, who has kept close relations with Moscow and declined to impose sanctions on Russia, said Serbia respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and that its position would not change. The stance has drawn pressure from the European Union.
“The situation in Ukraine is difficult,” Zelenskyy said. “There was another missile strike last night — ballistic missiles targeting our infrastructure. There were also attack drones.”
He said deliveries of Patriot air defense interceptors, the only weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, have slowed compared with last year.
“There are fewer of these missiles in 2026,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine received more each month in 2025.
Zelenskyy said the US has agreed to allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot interceptors, but the plan has been delayed by paperwork.
“The process for some of these licenses is also taking a long time,” he said.
Child killed with grandparents
The talks in Belgrade came after Russian drones destroyed a family home in Brovary district, northeast of Kyiv, killing a three-year-old child and the child’s grandparents, according to local officials.
Three other family members and a neighbour who came to help were injured and taken to hospital.
The attack destroyed the house and damaged nearby buildings and vehicles.
Zelenskyy said at least one other person was killed in an attack involving six ballistic missiles targeting civilian infrastructure in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down or intercepted 135 of 151 Russian drones launched overnight. The attack also included six ballistic missiles and other guided missiles.
Russia has repeatedly attacked populated areas across Ukraine, although Moscow says its forces target only military facilities.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said Friday that its air defenses had destroyed or intercepted around 5,300 Russian drones and missiles last month. That was just under 60% of the roughly 9,000 drones and missiles Russia launched during the period.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged countries, particularly the US, to provide more air defense ammunition. Supplies have become tighter amid the war involving Iran.
He has also sought permission to produce Patriot interceptors in Ukraine and called for stronger measures to disrupt Russia’s ability to manufacture ballistic missiles.
Following the latest attacks, Zelenskyy appealed on X for additional sanctions aimed at stopping the production of Russian ballistic missiles, as well as more anti-ballistic systems and interceptor missiles.
Ukraine targets Russian oil facilities
In Russia, six people were injured after a fire broke out at the Ilsky Oil Refinery in the southern Krasnodar region. Local officials said debris from a downed drone caused the fire.
Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces had struck the refinery in Krasnodar as well as the Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia’s Samara region, more than 800 kilometres from Ukraine.
Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed that drones had hit an industrial facility but did not identify it as an oil refinery.
Ukraine has carried out near-daily long-range drone and missile attacks on Russian oil facilities using domestically developed weapons.
The strikes have disrupted Russia’s fuel supply and created shortages, putting further pressure on the Kremlin.
