Zelensky: Russian attacks on Kiev airports before US visit
Shortly before the arrival of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Kiev, the Ukrainian president reported shelling of Zhuliany and Boryspil airports.
Quick Look
- Ahead of the expected visit of US negotiators to Kiev, President Zelensky has reported Russian attacks on Zhuliany and Boryspil airports.
- He sees this as an attempt by Moscow to spread uncertainty before the arrival of the US delegation.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Since the beginning of the major Russian invasion in 2022, civil air traffic in Ukraine has been completely stopped. Zhuliany and Boryspil airports are the central air transport hubs of the Ukrainian capital.
Kyiv. Shortly before the expected visit of US negotiators to Kyiv, Russian armed forces shelled the capital's airports, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Zhuliany and Boryspil airports were demonstratively attacked for the first time in a while, he wrote on social media.
Zelenskyy suggested that Moscow wanted to spread uncertainty ahead of the Americans' arrival. "The Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the US side to travel to Ukraine by plane and land at the Kyiv airport or in Boryspil," he wrote. Ukraine will align its drone strikes to paralyze Russian air traffic next week accordingly, he threatened.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, are expected in Kyiv on Sunday for their first visit. Prior to that, they are scheduled to speak with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Reports of a Russian drone attack on Zhuliany had already emerged on Friday. No information was made public regarding damage or casualties.
Civilian air traffic in Ukraine has been suspended since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. A safe flight for Witkoff to Kyiv would require Ukrainian permits as well as Russian security guarantees. Zhuliany is the old airport of the Ukrainian capital and is located within the city limits. When it became too small, a new international airport was built in the district town of Boryspil, about 20 kilometers east of Kyiv.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Ukraine will intensify drone attacks on Russian air traffic.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the US delegation's visit take place despite the attacks?
- What specific damage occurred at the airports?
