Ukraine war latest: US envoys make first visit to Kyiv, protecting city from Russian missiles but producing few results

Key developments on Sept. 5-6:

• 'The war will continue' — US peace push fails to achieve deal after Witkoff, Kushner's first visit to Kyiv
• US envoys Witkoff, Kushner conclude over 3-hour talks with Putin on ending Russia's war
• Russia, Ukraine agree to halt aerial strikes on each other's capitals during US envoys' visits
• Russia 'deliberately' targeted Kyiv, Boryspil airports ahead of US envoys' visit, Zelensky says
• Ukrainian drones strike Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, Rostov air defenses

President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as they arrived in Kyiv for the first time on Sept. 6, amid Washington's renewed diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

The arrival came only a day after the two envoys held more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, a discussion both sides described as "substantive."

The talks to not appear to have yielded a major breakthrough, with Zelensky telling reporters after the meeting that he expects "the war will continue" into the winter months. He also said he did not expect an increase in Patriot air defense supplies from the U.S. until "next year."

Zelensky and the envoys also teased future trilateral meetings — including U.S.-Ukraine-Europe talks and U.S.-Ukraine-Russia talks —without announcing the dates or locations of the expected discussions.

The president said the discussions centered on winter support, security guarantees, economic guarantees, and Patriot air defense supplies for Ukraine.

In brief comments for journalists, Witkoff said the talks had been "substantive" and "meaningful," noting that the envoys are "encouraged" with the progress so far.

The U.S. officials traveled to Kyiv by train, as recent Russian strikes near the capital's Boryspil airport prevented a journey by plane.

US envoys Witkoff, Kushner conclude over 3-hour talks with Putin on ending Russia's war

Witkoff and Kushner concluded more than three hours of talks with Putin in Moscow on Sept. 5 as Washington renewed efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

The meeting at the Kremlin lasted about three hours, according to Russian state media. Witkoff and Kushner left the Kremlin at around 11 p.m. local time. No immediate details on the outcome of the talks were announced.

The talks followed the envoys' arrival in Moscow earlier in the day, where they were met by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev. "Welcome to Moscow, peacemakers Witkoff and Kushner," Dmitriev wrote on X, posting footage of their arrival.

The negotiators were later seen having a business lunch at a Moscow restaurant with Dmitriev, according to Russian state media. Their meeting reportedly lasted around 3.5 hours.

Putin began talks with Witkoff and Kushner at around 8 p.m. local time. He described the situation as "not easy," adding that Russian forces had not struck Kyiv since midnight on Sept. 5 and that the "Ukrainian side has significantly reduced the intensity of strikes on Russian territory since that time."

"The two sides discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks, and look forward to equally productive meetings tomorrow in Ukraine," a White House official told journalists.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov later described the meeting as "substantive, constructive, extremely frank and trustworthy."

Putin told Witkoff and Kushner that he expects Russia to meet its "goals" and that Moscow wants the "root causes" of its war to be resolved.

Russia has said it seeks to occupy the rest of Ukrainian-controlled Donetsk Oblast and claims Ukraine's NATO aspirations are a threat.

Russia, Ukraine agree to halt aerial strikes on each other’s capitals during US envoys’ visits

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days beginning "at midnight today," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sept. 5, according to Russian state media.

Peskov did not clarify whether "today" meant Sept. 5 or Sept. 6.

Overnight, Russian forces launched multiple attacks across Ukraine, including strikes on Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Peskov said the temporary halt was linked to preparations for the Kyiv visit of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Shortly afterward, following a phone call with the U.S. side, President Zelensky said Ukraine was also prepared to refrain from strikes on Moscow, effective immediately through the end of Sept. 7.

"From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a halt in aerial strikes on the cities involved in the negotiating process," Zelensky said on Telegram at 5:21 p.m. local time.

Zelensky added that the plan for diplomatic meetings in Kyiv on Sept. 6 had been approved and that Ukraine was awaiting Witkoff and Kushner for what he called a "substantive conversation."

The announcement came after Ukraine had proposed a broader pause in hostilities from Sept. 5-8 ahead of the diplomatic talks. Russia did not initially agree to the proposal and continued launching attacks against Ukraine on Sept. 5..

Zelensky said Ukraine would not pose any threat to the diplomatic process, but added that Kyiv was preparing a response to Russia's attacks beginning next week.

Since late August, Russia has intensified its aerial campaign against Kyiv and the surrounding region, repeatedly sending drones toward the capital with only brief pauses between attacks and triggering near-constant air raid alerts.

The city recorded 13 air raid alerts on Aug. 27 alone, the highest daily number since the start of the full-scale invasion.

At least 53 people have been killed and 112 injured in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast since Aug. 27.

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

Russia deliberately targeted airports in Kyiv and Boryspil overnight ahead of a planned visit by U.S. envoys seeking to advance peace talks, President Zelensky said on Sept. 5.

"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 Witkoff and Kushner arriving in Ukraine by plane.

According to Zelensky, Kyiv International Airport and Boryspil International Airport were being discussed as possible arrival points in preparation for the U.S. envoys' visit.

"Russian-Iranian Shaheds in response to American diplomacy," Zelensky said, adding that Kyiv would adjust its operations regarding Russian airspace next week in response to the strikes.

The airport strikes were part of a broader Russian overnight attack. Russia launched ballistic missiles and 167 drones against Ukraine, killing at least seven people and injuring at least 51 others.

Ukrainian drones strike Russia's Ryazan oil refinery, Rostov air defenses

Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Ryazan and targeted other cities across Russia overnight on Sept. 6, Ukraine's General Staff reported.

Monitoring channels and regional authorities initally reported Ukrainian attacks on the targets.

Air defenses were engaged in Rostov Oblast's city of Bataysk, a suburb of the regional capital Rostov-on-Don, Telegram channel Exilenova Plus reported Sept. 6.

Explosions were also reported in Rostov-on-Don, where drones circled the city for four hours, eyewitnesses said, according to independent Russian outlet Astra.

Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed the attack, saying that three residential buildings were damaged in the city and a child was hospitalized.

Three dozen Ukrainian drones were destroyed over the region, the governor said.

Rostov-on-Don Mayor Alexander Skryabin earlier warned that air defenses in the city were engaged.

Ukraine's General Staff later confirmed strikes against an airfield, radar station, and two Pantsir-S1 air defense systems in Rostov Oblast, in a Telegram post on Sept. 6.

Additional strikes were reported at an oil refinery in the city of Ryazan in western Russia, where a fire broke out, Exilenova Plus reported.

The Ukrainian General Staff also confirmed the attack on the Ryazan oil refinery.

"Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck a number of (Russian) targets. Specifically, an oil refinery in Ryazan... was struck," reads the post.

The attacks came after Ukraine and Russia agreed not to strike each other's capitals during U.S.-brokered negotiations. Russia refused, however, to agree to Ukraine's broader proposal for a general ceasefire and did not halt strikes against Ukraine outside of Kyiv.

Ukraine regularly strikes military infrastructure deep within Russia and the occupied territories in an effort to diminish Moscow's ability to continue waging its full-scale war.