Russia’s aerial campaign across Ukraine continued as Moscow and Kyiv observed a temporary pause on airstrikes against each other’s capitals, with at least eight people killed and 69 injured in Russian attacks over the past day, according to Ukrainian authorities cited by The Kyiv Independent.The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 108 drones overnight, of which Ukrainian air defences intercepted 82, along with six S8000 Banderol missiles. Russian missiles and drones struck 11 locations, while debris from intercepted targets fell at seven locations, according to the report.The latest attacks came as the US stepped up diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, with President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arriving in Kyiv on September 6 for talks with Ukrainian officials.The two envoys arrived a day after holding more than three hours of discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The meeting did not produce an immediate breakthrough, although a White House official said the talks covered “substantive plans for next steps” that would be announced in the coming weeks.Capital strikes paused amid US diplomacyThe temporary arrangement covers aerial attacks against Moscow and Kyiv but does not amount to a broader ceasefire.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on September 5 that Russian forces would not strike Kyiv for three days beginning at midnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared to refrain from attacking Moscow through the end of September 7.Ukraine had proposed a wider three-day halt covering fighting along the front line as well, but Putin said Russia had not agreed to the proposal.Russian forces nevertheless continued attacks elsewhere in Ukraine.Officials reported no overnight strikes on Kyiv city, although Kyiv Oblast came under attack as Russian missiles and drones targeted other parts of the country.Trump envoys arrive in KyivWitkoff and Kushner’s visit to Kyiv comes as Washington seeks to build on its renewed diplomatic push following their meeting with Putin.A White House official described the Moscow discussions as focused on “substantive plans for next steps”. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the talks substantive, constructive and extremely frank.Putin said Russia expected to achieve its objectives and maintained that the “root causes” of the war needed to be addressed.The Moscow talks therefore failed to produce an immediate agreement, but Washington has signalled that discussions on possible next steps will continue.Zelenskyy seeks security guaranteesAhead of the meeting with the US envoys, Zelenskyy convened Ukraine’s negotiating team and said Kyiv was prepared for a substantive and realistic discussion.He said Ukraine wanted to end the war but also needed security guarantees and a dignified post-war peace.Zelenskyy added that Ukraine had prepared its proposals for the talks.The continued Russian strikes underline the limits of the temporary capital arrangement, with fighting and aerial attacks continuing across other parts of Ukraine even as Washington attempts to broker a wider settlement.
