Witkoff and Kushner visited Kyiv for the first time: no guarantee the war will end by winter

U.S. Envoys Visit Kyiv After Moscow Talks, but No Breakthrough Expected

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on September 6 for their first visit to the Ukrainian capital. The trip came just one day after the pair held more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met the envoys and held three rounds of talks that he described as “very substantive.” The discussions focused on possible parameters for ending the war, short-term support for Ukraine, winter needs, security guarantees, economic assistance, and additional Patriot air-defense systems. National security advisers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany also took part in the later rounds.

After the meetings, Zelensky told reporters that he expects the war to continue into the winter months and is counting on a winter aid package covering air defense and the energy sector. He said Ukraine, the U.S. envoys, and the European officials had agreed to meet again in the same format in the near future.

Speaking to journalists the same day, Jared Kushner said there is no guarantee the war will end by winter, but the United States is working to create the necessary conditions. “It’s a very, very hard problem, but we’re going to try. And I think if we can achieve that, it’d be an incredible thing. That doesn’t mean we will achieve it, but it’s very important to try. So we’re going to continue to do it,” Kushner said.

The envoys traveled to Kyiv by train after flying from Russia to the Polish city of Rzeszów, as Russian strikes prevented a direct flight. Both sides had agreed to refrain from aerial attacks on each other’s capitals during the visit. Witkoff described the talks as “substantive” and “meaningful,” while Kushner relayed personal regards from Trump and stressed the need for a long-term, durable peace. No major breakthrough was announced.

Lavrov claims start of 'real war' with Germany after Moscow accused of Leipzig Airport attack

Germany is moving toward “a real war” with Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on September 6, after Berlin accused Moscow of a hybrid attack involving an attempted drone strike on Leipzig Airport. Germany formally blamed Russia for the incident on September 1 after explosive-laden drones were discovered at the airport, with one reportedly damaging a cargo plane. German and U.S. authorities said evidence pointed to Russia.

“Leipzig, the airport... They found some kind of drone there. They said it was a Russian drone, no one bothered to investigate,” Lavrov said in an interview with Kremlin propagandist Pavel Zarubin. “This is, in general, by and large, the beginning of such a real war.” His comments contrasted with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who said: “We are not at war. But we are the target of hybrid warfare.” Lavrov also criticized Germany’s response to Russia, while Berlin has been pursuing additional EU sanctions and other measures against Moscow.

Russia struck logistics company warehouses in Dnipro, one killed and several injured

Russian forces struck warehouses belonging to a logistics company in Dnipro, killing one person and injuring three others, according to the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration.

“Russian forces have attacked Dnipro. A fire has broken out at a logistics company's warehouses as a result of the strike,” the official said. Three men were injured and taken to a hospital for treatment. A 69-year-old man who worked at a garage destroyed in the strike was killed, according to a later update.

Russian attacks killed 9 and injured 68 in Ukraine over the past day amid a declared pause in strikes against capitals

Russian attacks killed at least nine people and injured at least 68 across Ukraine over the past day, Ukrainian authorities reported September 6.

In Kharkiv Oblast, four people were killed and eight injured, including an 11-year-old boy and a 19-year-old woman in Chuhuiv. Three people were killed and 19 injured, including two children, in Kherson Oblast. Zaporizhzhia Oblast reported one death and 27 injuries, while Mykolaiv Oblast reported one person killed. Two people were injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, seven in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, two in Donetsk Oblast and three in Odesa Oblast. Authorities in Kyiv Oblast reported no casualties at the time of publication.

Russia launched 108 drones against Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Air defenses intercepted 82 drones and six S8000 Banderol missiles, while Russian drones and missiles struck 11 locations and debris fell at seven others. The attacks also prompted the evacuation of 915 people, including 136 children, from front-line areas of Donetsk Oblast.

The overnight attacks came as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected to arrive in Kyiv on Sept. 6 for talks on ending the war. Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to attack each other’s capitals during the visit. No strikes on Kyiv itself had been reported at the time of publication, although a drone alert was issued in the capital and attacks were reported in the surrounding region.