Russia has continued airstrikes on Ukraine, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for a pause in airstrikes during a visit by US President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Overnight, Russian forces launched 167 attack drones at targets in Ukraine, including ballistic missiles. According to Ukrainian authorities, 128 of the drones were shot down or neutralized. The attacks caused casualties in several areas of the country, while in the Dnipropetrovsk region, there were reports of deaths and injuries.
Attacks were also reported in other areas, including Kyiv, Boryspil and Mykolaiv. In the capital, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine, causing damage and injuring several people.
Zelensky had stated that Ukraine would not carry out air strikes on Russian territory during the visit of US representatives, in order to ensure their safety. He urged Moscow to take the same measure and stop air strikes for as long as necessary for the meetings to take place.
"There will be a period of calm on our part, and Russia should do the same," was essentially the message of the Ukrainian president, who expects Witkoff and Kushner to arrive in Kiev on Sunday, following their visit to Moscow.
However, the continued Russian bombing shows that the military terrain remains tense, while diplomatic efforts for a peace deal are once again confronted with the reality of the fighting. President Donald Trump has sent Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow and Kiev with a concrete proposal to end the war, which has now entered its fifth year.
The visit by the two US envoys is seen as a new attempt by the Trump administration to get negotiations between Moscow and Kiev back on track. But as diplomats prepare for the meetings, the attacks continue, making it even more difficult to reach a lasting ceasefire.
