Russia strikes Kyiv, Boryspil airports ahead of U.S. envoys’ Ukraine visit

On September 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were due to visit Ukraine, with a visit planned for the following day. Zelenskyy specifically blamed Russia for the strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil airports, suggesting it was in response to the U.S. envoys' diplomatic actions.

Ukraine had documented Russia's actions and planned to modify its operations in Russian airspace the following week, Zelenskyy stated. The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Ukraine would not compromise the ongoing diplomatic efforts. On September 4, there were reports of a fire at a nonresidential site in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district, following an attack.

Media outlets also claimed a Russian drone might have hit an aircraft at Zhuliany Airport. Zelenskyy confirmed on September 4 that Witkoff and Kushner would be traveling to both Russia and Ukraine in the coming days, with Axios reporting their visit to Moscow on September 5 and Kyiv on September 6. Zelenskyy urged Ukraine to halt airstrikes on Russian territory during the delegation's visit and called upon Russia to do the same.

The New York Times, citing U.S. officials, reported that negotiations for the trip had been ongoing for weeks. The United States asked Ukraine to temporarily stop drone attacks on Moscow and Russian energy facilities while the negotiators were in Russia, while Russia agreed to cease missile strikes on Kyiv. Ukraine's Defense Forces were ordered to temporarily cease firing along the line of contact from midnight on September 5 to 11:59 p.m. on September 8, an initiative initiated by Ukraine without any agreement with Russia.

Suspilne sources, however, denied reports of a ceasefire along the front. RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukraine was waiting for Russia's response to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire, with the U.S. side expected to discuss the proposal separately with Moscow amid concerns over Steve Witkoff's safety while in Ukraine. On the morning of September 5, reports indicated that Russia had rejected Ukraine's proposed temporary ceasefire, and fighting continued along the front.

Ukraine's General Staff stressed that the defensive operation was ongoing in full, as a unilateral pause would increase risks for Ukrainian troops.