Russian strikes kill 3 in Ukraine as US envoys prepare Kyiv visit

Russian attacks killed at least three people in Ukraine overnight, officials said Friday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. envoys are expected in Kyiv within days for renewed diplomatic talks. The strikes hit Odesa, Dnipro, and Kyiv, with residential buildings damaged. Zelenskyy said preliminary dates are set for meetings in Moscow and Kyiv, with the latter expected soon. Russian state media reported negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would visit Moscow first, then Kyiv on Sept. 5-6, though this was unconfirmed. The air war has intensified, with daytime attacks now occurring alongside nighttime strikes. The front line remains largely deadlocked, and talks have lost momentum amid U.S. focus on Iran. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone strike hit Sochi, sparking an oil depot fire. Separately, Finnish authorities are investigating a Russian-made drone found washed ashore east of Helsinki.