Key facts
- Russia resumed airstrikes on Kyiv and other regions on September 8, 2026, after a pause for U.S. peace envoys' visit.
- At least 12 people were killed and 10 injured in Kyiv during the overnight attacks.
- U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Kyiv and Moscow for peace talks.
- A three-day ceasefire was observed by both sides during the envoys' visit.
- President Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, including airports.
Russian air attacks resumed in downtown Kyiv on September 8, 2026, killing at least 12 people and injuring 10 in the capital. These were the first Russian airstrikes on Kyiv since a three-day ceasefire was implemented for the visit of U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The strikes, which also affected the Odesa region, damaged administrative buildings, warehouses, schools, and residential buildings. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia deliberately targeted Kyiv and Boryspil airports ahead of the U.S. envoys' visit, calling it a "complex strike" designed to cause maximum harm. Both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to pause attacks on each other's capitals during the envoys' travel for peace talks. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha criticized the resumption of attacks, stating that "Putin's ballistic missiles speak louder than his words on diplomacy." The U.S. envoys reported that "substantive progress was made" during their visits, including movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks.