Russia 'deliberately' targeted Kyiv, Boryspil airports ahead of US envoys' visit, Zelensky says

"Deliberately, for the first time in a long while," Zelensky said, describing the strikes as a response to discussions about the possibility of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arriving in Ukraine by plane.

An air raid alert was activated in Kyiv at around 3 p.m. local time, followed by explosions in the city center about half an hour later.

Russia attacked the city of Kamianske in the early hours of Sept. 5, killing four people and injuring five others, regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported. Three of the victims have been hospitalized, with one in intensive care.

Some of the attacks came after Ukraine reportedly ordered its troops to pause hostilities for four days as U.S. envoys prepared to visit Kyiv and Moscow for talks aimed at ending the war.

The figure includes 1,260 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day, according to the General Staff.

Grain prices spiked 2.5 points in August from the previous month, partly due to "continued uncertainty surrounding Black Sea export flows," the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization reported.

In Boryspil, just 29 kilometers (18 miles) east of Kyiv, two women were injured in the attack, according to Kyiv City Administration Head Tymur Tkachenko. Both victims have been hospitalized.

Units of Ukraine's army were ordered to halt fighting Sept. 5-8, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sept. 4, citing sources in the military, as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to visit Kyiv and Moscow over the coming days.

The criminal organization is "involved in protecting a network of fraudulent call centers and laundering illicit assets," the NABU said.

As Russia continues its non-stop aerial onslaught against Kyiv, disinformation online alleges that citizens are fleeing in droves, painting a picture of collapse and panic.

An air raid alert was activated in Kyiv at around 3 p.m. local time, followed by explosions in the city center about half an hour later. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack damaged a non-residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, without providing further details.

In this video, the Kyiv Independent’s Zhenia Doluba speaks with Kyiv residents about how they are coping with Russia’s relentless attacks and the growing exhaustion caused by the significantly increased number of air raid alerts.

Zelensky pledged that, for the safety of the U.S. negotiators, Ukraine would refrain from conducting aerial strikes against Russia during their visit and urged Moscow to do the same.