KYIV, Ukraine: Russia launched a major wave of missile and drone strikes against Kyiv early Tuesday, killing three people and injuring 19, shortly after U.S. peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff concluded their visit to Ukraine. The attacks marked a renewed escalation in Russia’s air campaign against the Ukrainian capital following a brief pause during the U.S. envoys’ diplomatic mission.

Multiple areas of Kyiv were hit, damaging residential buildings, a school, a clinic and a television channel, according to Ukrainian officials. Fires broke out across the city as emergency crews responded to the strikes. Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted most of the incoming cruise missiles and also shot down two ballistic missiles, but several weapons still struck targets in the capital.

The renewed attack came shortly after Kushner and Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of Washington’s efforts to revive negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The U.S. envoys had also traveled to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although the diplomatic effort has generated discussion about a possible new round of negotiations, no major breakthrough has been announced.

Peace efforts under pressure

The timing of the latest Russian strikes has raised fresh questions about the prospects for a ceasefire and renewed peace negotiations. Zelenskyy said the U.S. envoys had brought what he described as promising ideas for the next stage of negotiations. Ukraine and its Western partners are considering further discussions on issues including energy infrastructure, grain shipments and prisoner exchanges.

But the renewed attacks underline the continuing gap between diplomatic efforts and the military situation on the ground. Beyond Kyiv, Russian drones also struck areas including Sumy and Zaporizhzhia, while missile attacks were reported in Odesa. Ukrainian officials said civilian and critical infrastructure was damaged.

Russia said its forces were targeting military and logistical facilities, while Ukrainian authorities condemned the strikes and called for greater international support for the country’s air-defense capabilities.

Ukraine seeks more air defenses

The latest barrage has renewed concerns in Kyiv about shortages of advanced missile-interception systems, particularly as Ukraine prepares for another winter under continued Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials have urged the United States and European allies to provide additional air-defense systems and other military support.

The strikes came at a particularly sensitive moment for Washington’s diplomatic initiative. While U.S. officials continue to explore ways to bring Russia and Ukraine back to negotiations, the latest escalation demonstrates how fragile the situation remains. For now, diplomacy and military escalation are unfolding simultaneously, with no clear sign of an immediate ceasefire.

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day halt in Russian strikes on Kyiv as U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys prepare to visit the Ukrainian capital, the Kremlin said Saturday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days beginning at midnight. The temporary pause is linked to the visit of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are seeking to revive diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

“The Russian president and commander in chief has given the order not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight tonight,” Peskov said, according to Russian state media.

Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday and were scheduled to meet Putin before traveling to Kyiv on Sunday. Their visit is part of a renewed diplomatic effort by the Trump administration to push Russia and Ukraine toward an agreement to end the more than four-year war.

The announcement of the temporary halt comes after Russia carried out attacks across Ukraine, including strikes targeting areas around Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities have continued to report Russian missile and drone attacks as the conflict remains active.

The Kremlin’s decision to pause strikes on Kyiv appears intended to facilitate the U.S. delegation’s planned visit and meetings in the Ukrainian capital. The latest diplomatic push comes amid continued disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv over territory, security guarantees and Ukraine’s future relationship with NATO.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to bring the war to an end, while his administration has stepped up high-level contacts with both Russian and Ukrainian officials. The outcome of Witkoff and Kushner’s meetings in Moscow and Kyiv could determine whether the latest diplomatic initiative develops into broader peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.