Putin Orders 72-Hour Strike Pause in Kyiv During U.S. Envoys’ Visit
- Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 72-hour pause in aerial strikes against Kyiv starting at midnight on Saturday, according to the Kremlin, coinciding with a visit to Moscow...
- The temporary halt in bombardments was announced by presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to Russia’s Tass news agency.
- The high-level diplomatic visit comes as aerial attacks escalate sharply in the fifth year of the conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 72-hour pause in aerial strikes against Kyiv starting at midnight on Saturday, according to the Kremlin, coinciding with a visit to Moscow by U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to revive stalled negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Kremlin Announces 72-Hour Kyiv Strike Pause for U.S. Envoys’ Visit
The temporary halt in bombardments was announced by presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to Russia’s Tass news agency. Peskov stated that the decision is tied to preparations for Witkoff and Kushner’s planned visit to the Ukrainian capital on Sunday. Peskov confirmed that Kushner and Witkoff are scheduled to meet directly with Putin during their time in Moscow, though he maintained that there was “no talk of new ideas” to end the ongoing conflict. The U.S. delegation was met upon arrival at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Intensified Air War and Infrastructure Strikes Across Ukraine
The high-level diplomatic visit comes as aerial attacks escalate sharply in the fifth year of the conflict. In the lead-up to the talks, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, in Kyiv on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted in a social media post that Russia also carried out overnight strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil international airports as delegations prepared for the diplomatic mission. Simultaneously, strikes in Ukraine’s southern Dnipropetrovsk region resulted in casualties at an industrial facility. According to local military administration head Oleksandr Hanzha, enemy missiles killed five employees—including a locksmith, electrician, plumber, and machinist—and wounded five others. A separate attack in the region’s Nikopol district wounded a 62-year-old man and damaged several residential buildings, while Russia’s Ministry of Defense reported targeting two metallurgical plants in the area.
Diplomatic Momentum and Frontline Realities
Washington’s push to broker an end to the fighting has faced hurdles over the past six months as U.S. attention has pivoted toward the conflict with Iran. Witkoff and Kushner previously traveled to Moscow in January to meet with Putin in the Kremlin, but Sunday’s planned stop in Kyiv marks their first visit to the Ukrainian capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday that Ukraine would also halt airstrikes during the envoys’ visit and urged Moscow to reciprocate the gesture. As ground troops continue to struggle for progress along the 1,250-kilometer front line, both nations have increasingly relied on long-range aerial strikes and fast-flying, jet-powered drones.
