U.S. envoys in Moscow in new push for peace between Russia and Ukraine

Who arrived and the purpose of the trip U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday with the stated aim of reviving efforts to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The move represents a renewed attempt by Washington to restart talks that, according to reports, have lost momentum in recent months. Witkoff and Kushner previously visited Moscow in January, when they met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin; they have not previously traveled to Kyiv.

Meetings on the ground and official reception Russian state media said the envoys were met at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Ukraine said it expected the U.S. delegation in Kyiv on Sunday; President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his expectation publicly. Moscow has not issued a public response to Kyiv’s proposal for mutual cessation of airstrikes during the envoys’ trip.

Proposal for a temporary halt to air operations Zelenskyy said Ukraine would halt its own airstrikes for the duration of the U.S. delegation’s visit and called on Russia to do the same; there has been no public reply from Moscow. Zelenskyy also linked overnight strikes on airports to preparations for a possible U.S. aircraft visit and said Ukraine would adjust operations regarding Russian airspace next week because it has become dangerous due to Ukrainian drones and missiles.

Escalation of aerial attacks during the visit The visit took place amid a surge in aerial attacks: Russian forces have stepped up bombardments of Kyiv and other cities, often extending into daylight hours. Ukraine has conducted long-range strikes on Russian military facilities, oil refineries and e-commerce hubs to try to undermine the Kremlin’s war effort and economy and to demonstrate the war’s consequences for ordinary Russians. Both sides have increasingly relied on missiles and large drone salvos.

Specific strikes and their effects On Friday, a Russian drone struck one of Kyiv’s key government buildings — the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) headquarters. In the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian strikes killed five employees at an industrial site and wounded five others, regional military administration head Oleksandr Hanzha said, identifying the dead as a locksmith, an electrician, a plumber and a machinist. In the Nikopol district a 62-year-old man was wounded and several homes were damaged. In the Boryspil district a strike sparked a fire that partially destroyed a nine-story residential building.

Casualties and damage in other regions Russian forces also repeatedly struck a shopping center in the southern Mykolaiv region overnight, damaging retail premises and starting fires; a 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were hurt. Emergency crews responding to the incident were repeatedly forced to withdraw to safety because of the threat of further strikes and returned when conditions allowed. In the Kyiv region two more people were wounded, and Ukrainian strikes wounded three people in Russia’s Belgorod region, including a 14-year-old girl.

Scale of aerial assaults and types of weapons used Ukraine said Russia launched ballistic missiles from its Rostov and Voronezh regions and deployed 167 attack drones overnight. The drones included Shahed-type aircraft — roughly half of them jet-powered — as well as Geran drones and decoys. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down or suppressed 128 drones overnight. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had shot down 53 Ukrainian drones that same night.

Aims of Ukraine’s long-range strikes in Russia Ukrainian long-range strikes have targeted Russian military facilities, oil refineries and e-commerce hubs with the stated aim of undermining Russian military production, the Kremlin’s war effort and the Russian economy, and of making ordinary citizens feel the consequences of the war.

Logistics, air defenses and civilian life The intensifying air war comes as frontline forces struggle to make territorial gains along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (775-mile) front. Russia has recently used fast-flying, jet-powered drones, and Kyiv residents have faced recurring air-raid sirens as part of daily life. Ukraine’s shortage of air-defense systems has been cited as a factor allowing strikes to continue and making rescue operations more hazardous.

Official Russian statements Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had struck two metallurgical plants in the Dnipropetrovsk region, describing them as "major suppliers of metal products for Ukraine’s military production." The ministry also stated Russian forces had downed 53 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Context and prior headwinds to talks U.S. efforts to end the fighting, now in their fifth year, had lost momentum as Washington focused for the last six months on its war with Iran. The current mission by the envoys is intended to restore impetus to diplomatic avenues amid ongoing hostilities.

Expected Kyiv visit and remaining uncertainties Zelenskyy said he expected the U.S. envoys in Kyiv on Sunday; Moscow has not publicly accepted Kyiv’s call for reciprocal pauses in air operations. It remains unclear whether the trip will produce concrete agreements or how Moscow will respond publicly or in practice to Kyiv’s proposal; no formal outcomes were announced at the time of reporting.