- Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv starting midnight Saturday
- The pause coincides with a visit by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Ukraine
- Ukrainian President Zelensky had proposed a temporary ceasefire on Friday and urged Russia to mirror it
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day halt to Russian strikes on Kyiv as Ukraine prepares for a visit by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The temporary pause that was announced by the Kremlin on Saturday, is aligned with a high-stakes visit by the special envoys of US President Donald Trump, who are travelling to Ukraine with a proposal aimed at ending the war.
"The Russian president and commander in chief... has given the order not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight tonight," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
The visit by the US envoys came as both the rival countries escalated their aerial attacks.
Zelensky Had Proposed Ceasefire With Russia
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday had proposed a temporary ceasefire with Russia.
"There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must mirror this by ensuring silence without its air strikes for the time needed to hold these negotiations and resolve the logistical issues associated with this American visit," Zelensky said, proposing the ceasefire.
He said that Ukraine cares about the envoys and "not Russia", adding that the country wants "real options" to bring an end to the war that has been continuing for four-and-a-half years.
"We'll see what proposals Steve and Jared have and what Moscow will say to them," Zelensky wrote.
Strikes Escalate On Both Sides
In recent days, Russia has increased its daytime air attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, relentlessly striking civilian areas.
On Friday, a Russian drone hit the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service. It is one of the most important buildings in Kyiv and is one of the agencies that helped in carrying out strikes deep inside Russia.
Meanwhile, long-range strikes by Ukraine have hit Russian military facilities, oil refineries and e-commerce hubs, seeking to undermine the Kremlin's war effort and economy, as well as make ordinary citizens feel the consequences of the war.
Washington's push to end the fighting, now in its fifth year, has lost momentum as US attention has been focused for the last six months on its war with Iran.
The last known visit to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, was in January, when they met Putin in the Kremlin. They have never visited Kyiv, but Zelensky said he was expecting them in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday.
(With inputs from agencies)
