At least five people have been killed in Russian attacks across Ukraine as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for talks aimed at reviving stalled peace efforts.
The latest attacks came as Ukraine agreed to halt its own air strikes during the US delegation's visit, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling on Moscow to take similar steps. The diplomatic push comes amid continued escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russian attacks kill at least five
A massive overnight Russian attack on the southern Odesa region killed at least one person and injured five others, including a child, according to regional authorities. Several residential buildings, including multi-storey apartment blocks, were damaged.
In Dnipro, Russian strikes killed two police officers, while a separate drone attack in Kyiv injured three people after hitting a residential building. The latest casualties came a day after a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in central Kyiv, injuring several people.
Ukraine has also continued launching long-range drone attacks against targets inside Russia. Russian authorities reported a large-scale Ukrainian drone strike on the Black Sea resort city of Sochi and the nearby Sirius district, with fires reported at an oil facility.
US envoys arrive in Moscow
Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday as part of a renewed US effort to restart negotiations aimed at ending the war. They are expected to travel to Kyiv after their meetings in Russia.
US President Donald Trump has said the envoys are carrying a proposal aimed at ending the conflict, although details of the plan have not been publicly disclosed. Reports indicate that possible elements include security guarantees for Ukraine and an initial ceasefire.
The two envoys last visited Moscow in January, when they met Russian President Vladimir Putin. The latest visit comes after peace negotiations lost momentum, with both Moscow and Kyiv remaining divided over key issues, particularly territory.
Zelenskyy calls for reciprocal pause
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will not carry out air strikes while the US envoys are travelling between Russia and Ukraine, and has called on Moscow to reciprocate.
The Ukrainian president said the objective was to create conditions for constructive negotiations and explore options to end the war. Kyiv has indicated that it remains ready for substantive talks with Washington and Moscow.
However, the continuing attacks highlight the major gap between the diplomatic efforts and the situation on the ground. Russia and Ukraine have continued exchanging drone and missile strikes, while fighting along the front remains largely deadlocked.
The latest developments come more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough once again competing with an intensifying military campaign.
