Putin orders three-day halt on strikes against Kyiv
Photo: Russian dictator’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Getty Images)
The Kremlin has claimed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days, according to Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
According to Peskov, the order took effect at midnight on September 6 and calls for a halt to strikes against the Ukrainian capital for three days, through September 9.
The Kremlin linked the announced pause in strikes to preparations for and meetings in Kyiv involving American negotiators.
Thus, the pause in strikes announced by the Russian side is expected to last three days. At the same time, Peskov’s statement does not mention other Ukrainian cities or a broader ceasefire.
Ukraine’s reaction
Meanwhile, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, pointed out that the Kremlin’s announced pause applies only to Kyiv.
“So Putin is ordering a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv, on civilians. But he is not ordering a halt to strikes on the Kyiv region or other regions and cities of Ukraine. And this is a ‘ceasefire,’” Kovalenko wrote.
He added that, in his view, the position once again demonstrates Russia’s unwillingness to end the war.
Ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine
Earlier, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, confirmed that Ukraine had proposed that Russia halt fire on the battlefield and in the air, but Moscow did not respond.
The proposal came ahead of the visit by US representatives to Ukraine and Russia.
However, on the morning of September 5, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported new strikes against Ukraine, effectively rejecting the proposed ceasefire format.
At the same time, Budanov had suggested that Russia might refrain from striking Kyiv during the visit of the US representatives.
