Zelenskyy Visits Serbia Amid Intensified Russian Strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Belgrade on Saturday, a trip marked by intensified Russian strikes on Ukraine, including the Kyiv region.

Local authorities reported that Russian missile strikes killed four people, including a child, in the Kyiv region on Saturday. The attack occurred hours after Zelenskyy arrived in Serbia, a country with historical ties to Moscow. Zelenskyy also warned that 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean troops could be deployed to Russia, stating that Pyongyang is gaining modern warfare experience.

He sought support from South Korea and met with Serbia's leader as Russia continued strikes on Ukrainian ports. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić hosted Zelenskyy with ceremony, a move interpreted as a diplomatic balancing act between Brussels and Moscow, with Serbia's bid to join the European Union appearing to take precedence in considerations. Serbia announced new humanitarian aid for Ukraine during the visit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine faces a winter with virtually no working thermal power plants following overnight Russian strikes. He also reported that the latest attacks and shelling of frontline communities had resulted in 13 deaths in a 24-hour period. Authorities declared an air raid alert in and around the Ukrainian capital during the strikes near Kyiv. Zelenskyy's visit to Belgrade was described as a landmark trip.