- Zelensky reported Russian airport strikes ahead of US visit.
- These attacks targeted airports discussed for US diplomatic travel.
- Putin later ordered a three-day Kyiv strike pause.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day pause in strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from Saturday, ahead of a planned visit by a US delegation, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov also told Russia’s TASS news agency that Putin was scheduled to meet US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday.
Zelensky Says Russia Struck Ukrainian Airports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said Russia had targeted airports in Kyiv and the nearby town of Boryspil ahead of the expected visit by the US envoys.
“Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the U.S. side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine and land at Kyiv Airport or Boryspil Airport,” he said on the Telegram app.
“Russian-Iranian Shaheds (drones) in response to American diplomacy.”
Ukraine has kept its airspace closed since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. However, Zelensky said officials had discussed the possibility of US peace negotiators travelling by plane for their expected visit to Kyiv on Sunday.
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US Envoys To Discuss Ukraine Peace Plan
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were travelling abroad as part of efforts to reach a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The latest diplomatic push by Washington comes as efforts to resolve Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II face a deadlock.
Peace negotiations have been held up amid Washington’s war with Iran, while Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range attacks, pushing civilian casualties to their highest levels since the conflict began.
The fresh diplomatic effort comes as both Russia and Ukraine continue to launch long-range missile and drone strikes against each other.
Witkoff and Kushner’s trip comes more than a week after a rare visit to Moscow by CIA director John Ratcliffe, who warned Russia against attacking NATO member states, according to US media.
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