NNA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will be cutting short a visit to South Africa Thursday to urgently return to Kyiv after a Russian strike on the capital 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.

Russia had fired at least 70 missiles and 145 drones at Ukraine overnight.

In a statement on social media, the air force said it had "detected and tracked 215 enemy air targets" -- including ballistic and cruise missiles -- of which 112 were "confirmed to have been shot down".

At least nine people were killed and more than 60 wounded in the attack on Kyiv early Thursday, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.

"Russia has launched a massive combined strike on Kyiv. According to preliminary data, nine people were killed, 63 injured", including six children among those hospitalised, the service said in a Telegram post.

Residential buildings have been damaged in the strike, and "the search for people under the rubble is underway", it added.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he thought Russia had agreed to a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine, with Zelensky now the holdout.

"I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelensky," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky. So far it's been harder."--agencies

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