President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first official visit to Serbia as Ukraine sought broader international backing while Russia launched fresh attacks on Kyiv and its surrounding region
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Serbia on Saturday for his first official visit to the country, seeking to strengthen international support for Ukraine as Russia intensified its attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region, where overnight strikes killed at least three people and injured seven.
Zelenskyy was scheduled to hold talks with Serbian President Alexander Vucic at the presidential palace following another wave of attacks on the Ukrainian capital. The latest bombardment killed three people, including a child, and came as diplomatic efforts to end the war remained stalled more than four years after Russia launched its large-scale offensive.
Talks with Serbia focus on security and cooperation
Ahead of the formal meeting, Zelenskyy had dinner with Vucic on Friday. The Serbian leader, whose country remains one of the few in Europe to maintain close ties with Moscow, reiterated this week that he would not impose sanctions on Russia despite pressure from the European Union.
Zelenskyy took to X and wrote, “We will discuss expanding economic ties between our countries, relations with the European Union, other areas that can benefit our nations, and security issues.”
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The two leaders were also expected to address the media after their meeting.
A senior Ukrainian official earlier described Zelenskyy’s visit to Serbia, a longstanding Russian ally, as “a slap in the face for the Russians”.
Serbia balances ties with Russia and Ukraine
Serbia has historically maintained close relations with Russia, and Vucic has repeatedly refused to impose sanctions on Moscow, a position that has frustrated the EU and slowed Belgrade’s membership ambitions.
At the same time, Serbia has provided non-military assistance to Kyiv, despite its continued dependence on inexpensive Russian gas. The Kremlin has accused Serbian companies of supplying munitions to Ukraine, an allegation Vucic has consistently denied.
Vucic attended a regional summit in Ukraine in 2025 and visited Kyiv earlier this year. While he pledged assistance to Ukraine, he stopped short of signing a formal declaration supporting Kyiv in the war.
The visit also marked Zelenskyy’s first trip to Serbia since becoming president in 2019.
Fresh attacks hit Kyiv region
The diplomatic visit coincided with another night of Russian attacks on the Kyiv region.
According to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration, three people, including a child, were killed in the Brovary district, northeast of the capital. Falling debris damaged homes and vehicles and sparked a fire in a non-residential building.
Three people were injured in the district, while four others were wounded in Kyiv during the overnight attacks.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service released photographs showing a destroyed building engulfed in flames, saying the attack on the village of Pukhivka destroyed a two-storey house and two vehicles, while also causing a warehouse fire.
An AFP reporter in Kyiv heard around a dozen explosions as Ukraine’s air force warned of the “threat of ballistic weapon use from the north”.