Ukraine ready to observe ceasefire in air strikes until Monday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared on September 4 that Ukraine would suspend air strikes on Russian cities through the weekend, timing the pause to coincide with a high-stakes diplomatic shuttle by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The move puts the ball squarely in Moscow’s court, with Zelenskyy explicitly calling on Russia to match the gesture. Cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, which have faced Ukrainian drone and missile strikes with increasing frequency over the past year, would be covered under the temporary halt. The diplomatic chess match Witkoff and Kushner were scheduled to arrive in Moscow on September 5-6, then travel to Kyiv on September 6 for parallel discussions with both warring governments. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded with his own gesture, ordering a three-day cessation of strikes on Kyiv beginning at midnight on September 5. Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov noted that Russia had not formally accepted the proposed mutual pause conditions. Military operations reportedly continued in certain areas even as the diplomatic overtures were being made public. Earlier in 2026, both sides agreed to pauses on energy infrast...