Zelenskyy links strikes to US envoys' visit
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The gist
Zelenskyy said Russian strikes on Kyiv airports reacted to US envoys' planned visit.
The pause in strikes aims to ease talks but Moscow hasn't publicly responded.
Background
The US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on September 5, 2026, to revive peace talks amid an intensified air war. Ukraine had offered to halt strikes on Moscow during the visit, but Russia did not publicly respond. Zelenskyy linked the overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil airports to the US visit, suggesting they were a reaction to preparations for a US aircraft to travel to Ukraine.
How it unfolded
- Sep 4, 2026Zelenskyy said Ukraine would halt airstrikes during the envoys' visit and urged Moscow to do the same.
- Sep 5, 2026US envoys Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow. Overnight Russian strikes hit Kyiv and Boryspil airports. Zelenskyy linked the strikes to the US visit.
- Sep 5, 2026Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday, expecting Russia to do the same regarding Kyiv.
Who’s saying what
- Ukraine
- Zelenskyy said the strikes were a reaction to the US visit and that Ukraine was ready to pause strikes on Moscow if Russia reciprocated.
- Russia
- Moscow did not publicly respond to Ukraine's proposal for a mutual pause in strikes.
- Analysts
- The air war has intensified as troops struggle along the 1,250-kilometer front line, with Russia using fast-flying jet-powered drones.
Still unverified
Zelenskyy's claim that the strikes were a reaction to the US visit is his assertion, not independently confirmed.