Putin claims Kyiv not struck since midnight under three-day ceasefire; Ukraine reports continuing attacks
On 5 September 2026, Vladimir Putin told US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow that Russia had not struck Kyiv since midnight that day, framing the halt as a three-day ceasefire covering Kyiv and Moscow. Witkoff thanked Putin for the agreement, while Putin said Russia had never agreed to a broader ceasefire and planned to discuss 'all modalities' of a settlement with the envoys. Ukrainian sources, by contrast, reported five air raid alerts in Kyiv during the day, two deaths and 28 damaged objects in five districts of Kyiv region, and Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kharkiv oblasts. Ukraine's General Staff said combat operations continue on the front, and Zelensky declared reciprocal readiness to pause air strikes on cities involved in negotiations. Budanov confirmed a ceasefire proposal had been delivered to Putin, who did not respond.
Key points
- Putin met US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on 5 September 2026.
- Putin said Russia has not struck Kyiv since midnight on 5 September and framed this as a three-day ceasefire covering Kyiv and Moscow.
- Putin said the request to stop strikes on Kyiv came through official channels including intelligence services and the Foreign Ministry, and that he gave the corresponding order.
- Witkoff thanked Putin for the three-day pause; the envoys also met Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev before going to the Kremlin.
- Witkoff and Kushner were expected in Kyiv on Sunday 6 September.
- Ukrainian sources reported five air raid alerts in Kyiv on 5 September, with two people killed and 28 objects damaged in five districts of Kyiv region; Russian strikes were also reported in Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kharkiv oblasts.
- The General Staff said fighting continues on the front; Zelensky stated readiness to reciprocate a strike pause on cities involved in negotiations; Budanov said a ceasefire proposal was delivered to Putin, who did not respond.
Why it matters
The episode bears directly on whether a localized de-escalation around US-mediated negotiations is being observed. Putin's denial of any broader ceasefire contrasts with Ukrainian framing of reciprocal commitments, and the gap between his statement and the documented casualties and damage in Kyiv region tests the credibility of Russia's unilateral strike pause.
What happened
On Saturday 5 September 2026, US presidential special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev for a business lunch in Moscow before going to the Kremlin, where they met Vladimir Putin. Putin told them Russia had not struck Kyiv since midnight that day and described a three-day ceasefire covering Kyiv and Moscow; he said the request came through official channels including intelligence services and the Foreign Ministry, and that he gave the corresponding order. Putin added that Russia had never agreed with Ukraine on a broader ceasefire and that he intended to discuss "all modalities" of a settlement with the envoys. Witkoff thanked Putin for the arrangement and called the communication one of the most memorable moments of his life. Witkoff and Kushner were expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday 6 September. In parallel, Ukrainian sources reported five air raid alerts in Kyiv during 5 September, two deaths and 28 damaged objects in five districts of Kyiv region, and Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kharkiv oblasts. Ukraine's General Staff said combat operations continue on the front because the enemy has not stopped its aggression, while Zelensky declared readiness to reciprocate a pause in air strikes on cities involved in the negotiations; he also assessed Russian attacks on 5 September as a reaction to preparations for the US delegation's arrival in Ukraine. Budanov later confirmed that a ceasefire proposal had been delivered to Putin, who did not respond.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language sources foreground the contradiction between Putin's claim of no strikes on Kyiv and the documented casualties, damage and air raid alerts in Kyiv region on 5 September. They highlight Zelensky's reciprocal readiness to a strike pause and Budanov's account that the ceasefire proposal was conveyed to Putin without a response. Ukrainian outlets frame Russian attacks on Kyiv region and other oblasts on 5 September as undermining the stated ceasefire and as pressure around the US delegation's arrival. One Ukrainian item cites Poroshenko characterizing the shelling of Kyiv airports as Russia's true attitude toward negotiations.
How international sources describe it
The English-language agency item reports Putin's claim at face value and presents the pause as a goodwill move responding to an official-channel request, without documenting the day's casualties. International framing centers the diplomatic exchange — Witkoff's thanks, plans to discuss "all modalities", and his personal characterization of the meeting — over the operational picture on the ground.
Where reporting differs
Putin claimed Russia had not struck Kyiv since midnight on 5 September as part of a three-day ceasefire covering Kyiv and Moscow, while Ukrainian reporting on the same day recorded five air raid alerts in Kyiv, two deaths and 28 damaged objects in five districts of Kyiv region, and Russian strikes on several other oblasts. Putin also said Russia had never agreed with Ukraine on a broader ceasefire, while Zelensky stated Ukraine's readiness to adhere to a pause in air strikes on cities involved in the negotiation process, and Budanov said the ceasefire proposal was delivered to Putin, who gave no response.
Background
US President Donald Trump said the envoys were travelling to Russia and Ukraine to present a proposal to end the war. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrainian defense units received an order to observe a "silence regime" along the line of contact from 00:00 on 5 September to 23:59 on 8 September. Kyrylo Budanov later confirmed that a ceasefire proposal had been delivered to Putin, who did not respond. Russian strikes on 5 September were also reported in Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kharkiv oblasts.