Putin orders three-day pause in attacks on Kyiv

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a halt to attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kiev for three days. Putin gave the “order not to attack Kiev for three days from midnight today,” the Russian state news agency Tass quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Saturday. This decision is related to the “preparation and establishment of contacts” with the US delegation expected in Kiev.

The Russian news agencies Ria Novosti and Tass had previously reported that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had arrived in Moscow on Saturday afternoon. According to the information, they will meet Russian ruler Vladimir Putin there and will later be expected for talks in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

American President Donald Trump announced a new diplomatic push to end the war. He called Witkoff and his son-in-law Kushner “two great negotiators” on Friday. He added: “We sent them there to see if we could achieve something.” Witkoff and Kushner brought an American plan to end the war with them for their talks in Moscow.

A convoy with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner leaves the airport and heads towards downtown Moscow. Kirill Dmitriev, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is also in the motorcade, as an eyewitness reported to the Reuters news agency.

US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow, according to Russian news agencies. According to an insider, they will meet with Russian presidential adviser Kirill Dmitriev when they arrive in Moscow on Saturday. The Reuters news agency learned this from two people familiar with the visit. Dmitriev told Reuters in June that he had remained in touch with US negotiators during a break in visits.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia attacked the airports in Kiev and the nearby city of Boryspil ahead of the visit of two US special envoys. Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia's large-scale invasion began in February 2022. However, according to Zelensky, the possibility was discussed that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could use a plane for their expected visit to Kiev on Sunday.

Russia is calling on the US to take battlefield realities into account in talks about ending the conflict, ahead of a possible visit by its special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kiev. The situation is changing to Ukraine's disadvantage, says Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

Four people were killed in a Russian airstrike in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine ahead of a US mediation mission in the Ukraine war. The attack hit an industrial plant in the city of Kamianske, regional governor Olexander Hanscha said on Telegram. There were six injured.

Negotiations about an end to the Ukraine war could get moving again with US mediation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a weekend visit by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. It was discussed that both would first visit Moscow and then travel to Kiev for the first time on Sunday, Zelensky said in a video message.

According to F.A.Z. information, the headquarters of the Ukrainian domestic secret service SBU in Kiev was hit by a Russian drone. The AFP news agency also writes about such an attack, citing a reporter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said on the Telegram online service that the attack was “directly” aimed at the office of the intelligence chief.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one of Ukraine's most important camps was hit in an airstrike. “Humanitarian medical supplies were stored in the camp in the Kiev region,” said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier on Friday. Access is not possible for the time being due to thick smoke and for safety reasons.

Masked and armed security forces are not a rare sight in Kyiv. But it's not every day that you see them firing shots, especially at other masked security forces. That's why what happened on Wednesday in the Dnipro district is a topic of conversation in Ukraine. According to what is known so far, two security agencies were involved in the incident; the domestic secret service SBU and the military intelligence service HUR.