BELGRADE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Serbia on Saturday, condemning Russian missile and drone strikes that killed four people, including a child, around Kyiv as he held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on security, European integration and bilateral cooperation.
Zelenskyy arrived in Belgrade on Friday for his first official visit to Serbia, a country that has maintained close relations with Moscow while seeking membership of the European Union. Vucic described Ukraine as a friendly country and reiterated Serbia’s support for the territorial integrity of all U.N. member states.
The visit came after an overnight Russian attack involving ballistic missiles and drones. Ukrainian authorities said four people were killed in Kyiv and the surrounding region. In the Brovary district northeast of the capital, a 3-year-old child and the child’s grandparents were killed when a family home was destroyed, local officials said.
Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted or downed 135 of 151 drones launched during the attack, which also involved six ballistic missiles and other guided missiles. Zelenskyy said the strikes targeted infrastructure and civilian enterprises, while Russia has maintained that its forces target military facilities.
Speaking alongside Vucic, Zelenskyy said Ukraine faced a continuing shortage of air-defense interceptors, particularly ammunition for U.S.-made Patriot systems capable of countering ballistic missiles. He said deliveries had slowed compared with 2025 and that plans for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptors were being delayed by licensing procedures.
Zelenskyy also called for stronger sanctions aimed at restricting Russia’s ability to produce ballistic missiles and for additional air-defense capabilities.
The talks with Vucic covered efforts by both countries to join the EU, economic relations, infrastructure, energy and security cooperation. Serbia also pledged a new package of humanitarian assistance for Ukraine in the medical and energy sectors and expressed readiness to help rebuild a Ukrainian city affected by the war, according to Zelenskyy’s office.
The leaders discussed a proposed free-trade agreement and cooperation involving railways, ports and food security. They also addressed diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
Zelenskyy’s visit marked the first visit by a Ukrainian president to Serbia in eight years. Vucic has declined to join Western sanctions against Russia but has repeatedly said Serbia supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
