Russia halts Kyiv strikes for 72 hours as US envoys visit Moscow

The Kremlin announced Saturday that strikes on Kyiv would be suspended for three days beginning at midnight, according to presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. The pause has been timed to coincide with the arrival of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow, who are expected to travel to the Ukrainian capital on Sunday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded positively to the development on Friday, announcing that Kyiv would also halt airstrikes during the envoys' visit and calling on Moscow to reciprocate the military restraint. The coordinated pause marks a rare moment of de-escalation in a conflict that has intensified significantly in recent months, with both Russian and Ukrainian forces conducting sustained aerial campaigns.

The diplomatic initiative reflects Washington's continued attempts to broker a settlement in the nearly five-year-old conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The timing of the envoys' mission underscores the international community's interest in finding a negotiated resolution to the war, which has caused significant humanitarian and economic repercussions across the region and beyond.