Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day suspension of military strikes on Kyiv starting at midnight on Saturday, September 5, 2026, ahead of an official visit to the Ukrainian capital by U.S. peace envoys sent by President Donald Trump. ​
The temporary ceasefire, announced by the Kremlin on Saturday afternoon, is specifically tailored to cover the Ukrainian capital to facilitate safe logistics and diplomatic talks aimed at negotiating an end to the four-and-a-half-year conflict.
The American delegation, led by Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, touched down at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport at 12:52 p.m. local time (0952 GMT) on Saturday. Following high-level discussions with Kremlin officials in Moscow, the pair are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday, September 6, for bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. ​
“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 told state news agency TASS. Peskov confirmed that the order was issued directly in response to the U.S. delegation’s transit and travel itinerary. ​
Speaking from Washington on Friday, President Trump reiterated his push to break the diplomatic deadlock. “I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators… to see whether or not we can get something done, and there may be a good chance of that,” Trump stated.
The announcement follows a request made by President Zelenskyy on Friday, in which Kyiv offered to halt Ukrainian strikes in Russian airspace during the U.S. envoys’ transit, provided Moscow reciprocated. ​”There will be no airstrikes from our side, and Russia must do the same, ensuring there are no airstrikes from its side for the time needed to hold these talks,” Zelenskyy stated in a public address. ​
The three-day pause comes after a sharp escalation in aerial bombardment. Overnight strikes targeting Ukrainian transport hubs, including strikes near Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport had heightened safety concerns for the incoming diplomatic mission.
Ukrainian air defenses reported intercepting over 120 drones across the country during Friday night’s barrage. ​While the Kremlin downplayed expectations for an immediate breakthrough, the temporary halt marks the first localized pause in strikes on Kyiv in several months as the U.S. delegation prepares for Sunday’s meetings at the Mariinskyi Palace.
