A brief pause in Russia’s campaign of nonstop attacks that allowed President Trump’s envoys to safely visit Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, this weekend came to an abrupt end on Tuesday as Moscow resumed its bombardment.
The overnight barrage of drones and missiles killed two people and wounded at least 10 others, according to the mayor of Kyiv, shattering any lingering sense of safety from the trip by the envoys — Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law.
“The moment the U.S. president’s peace envoys left, Putin launched another massive, horrific attack against Kyiv” Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, wrote on X on Tuesday. “His ballistic missiles speak louder than his words on diplomacy.”
Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner visited Moscow and then Kyiv over the weekend in a bid to restart stalled peace talks. Ukraine first announced it would not attack Moscow during the envoys’ trip. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia then agreed Saturday not to attack Kyiv for three days.
The agreement gave weary residents of Kyiv short respite from nearly two weeks of round-the-clock drone attacks. The Russian tactic has significantly disrupted life in the capital, where attacks more often occurred overnight.
As President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted the envoys for several hours of meetings, locals caught up on sleep and rushed to malls and shopping centers that normally close during air raid alarms.
Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner left Kyiv late Sunday with little to show from the talks beyond vague claims that new ideas were on the table. Still, the visit was important symbolically for Ukraine. The two men have repeatedly visited Russia for talks but before Sunday they had not yet been to Kyiv.
Mr. Zelensky even joked to Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner that they should visit more often because they were the most effective form of air defense.
But there were no illusions that the quiet would continue after the pair left.
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said on Monday afternoon that the city would adjust the curfew and some transport rules to help ease traffic jams that have clogged the city during daytime attacks. He also said all entertainment events held outdoors or in buildings without shelters would be canceled, blaming the “deteriorating security situation.” By early Monday evening, air raid sirens blared again in the capital. Warnings circulated that Russian planes were preparing for a mass attack. Hours later, waves of Russian ballistic and cruise missiles were once again headed toward Kyiv.
Ukraine has not resumed drone attacks on Moscow at this point. The Moscow mayor last reported Ukrainian drones flying toward the city on Friday. Airports in the capital, which have been shut down regularly under Ukrainian drone threats, are operating normally.
Ivan Nechepurenko contributed from Moscow.
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