Ukrainian troops ordered to pause combat during US diplomatic visit

Ukrainian military units reportedly received orders for a four-day operational pause across several frontlines as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv and Moscow for peace discussions. Despite the diplomatic push and assertions by US President Donald Trump that both nations agreed to suspend energy strikes, overnight attacks continued. Strikes across Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Belgorod, and Sochi caused multiple casualties, including a 74-year-old man killed in Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky clarified that Kyiv would pause strikes only under Western guarantees that Russia stops targeting critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned a Russian strike near the Ukrainian-Polish border, warning it aimed at intimidation.

Sources: Beta, CDM, Index, N1, Vijesti