Russia strikes Kyiv airports ahead of US envoys’ peace talks

Russian forces struck airports in Kyiv and nearby Boryspil just before US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived to discuss a peace proposal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for a temporary ceasefire during the talks and condemned the attacks as a major escalation.

The Russian strikes targeted Kyiv’s airports, a clear reaction to preparations for the US envoys’ visit, according to multiple sources. The attacks came ahead of planned discussions aimed at ending the four-year conflict in Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy said a Russian drone hit the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, opposite the St. Sophia Cathedral. He instructed the SBU to deliver an "appropriate, tangible response" to the strike. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the attack as a "major escalation."

Zelenskyy proposed that Ukraine would observe a temporary ceasefire with Russia while the US envoys are in Moscow and Kyiv. He emphasized, "There will be no airstrikes on our part, and Russia must reciprocally ensure a ceasefire — without its own airstrikes — for the duration needed to conduct these talks."

He also assured that, as during previous diplomatic visits by the American side, Ukraine would ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so the negotiators could arrive safely. US President Donald Trump announced the envoy mission, saying he was sending Kushner and Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the war.

The envoys’ arrival and the proposed talks come amid efforts to overcome a diplomatic deadlock in Europe. Russian-Iranian drones were reportedly used in the strikes, seen as a response to American diplomacy. The situation remains tense as the peace talks begin.