As a U.S. delegation prepares to visit Russia and Ukraine, Russia has launched airstrikes near Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have suggested that the attacks may be aimed at coinciding with the U.S. delegation's visit.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on September 5 that "overnight, Russia conducted demonstrative airstrikes on Kyiv and Boryspil airports," calling it a "deliberate attack after a long time."
President Zelensky indicated that the strikes appeared to target the potential landing of the U.S. delegation at either Kyiv or Boryspil airports, claiming that Iranian-made Shahed drones were used in the attacks.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, are expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before traveling to Kyiv on September 6 to meet with President Zelensky. Zelensky had previously stated that he would ensure the normal operation of Russian airspace in light of their visit.
According to TASS and RIA Novosti, a U.S. government C-32A aircraft, which likely carried Witkoff and Kushner, entered Russian airspace at approximately 11:40 a.m. after departing from Finland.
Russia has expressed that the evolving situation on the ground in Ukraine, which is unfavorable to Ukraine, should be reflected in peace negotiations. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated, "We must consider not only the root causes of the conflict but also the ongoing situation that continues to change unfavorably for Kyiv."
Ryabkov also raised doubts about whether the U.S. could handle current issues rationally and avoid being entangled in the machinations of obstructive forces following the Anchorage summit.
This visit comes just ten days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Russian intelligence officials in Moscow on August 26.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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