Putin Halts Kyiv Strikes for 72 Hours as US Envoys Visit Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv starting Saturday midnight, the Kremlin announced, as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow to revive stalled peace efforts to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the pause was tied to the envoys' planned Sunday visit to Kyiv, and confirmed they would meet Putin, though he said there was "no talk of new ideas." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had pledged to halt airstrikes during the visit, but reported overnight Russian attacks on Kyiv and Boryspil airports, calling them a reaction to the U.S. trip. The envoys' visit follows intensified aerial attacks on both sides, with Russia striking Kyiv and other cities amid Ukraine's air defense shortages, including a Friday drone hit on the SBU headquarters. Russian attacks killed five people in Dnipropetrovsk region, while Ukraine launched 167 drones and missiles overnight, with 128 shot down.