Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated on Saturday, Sept. 5, that Russia failed to respond to a proposed ceasefire intended to coincide with the visit of US diplomatic envoys to Moscow and Kyiv.
In a comment to the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, Budanov said the proposal was communicated directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The initiative called for a temporary halt to both aerial strikes and frontline combat operations.
Addressing the lack of a Russian response and the continuation of hostilities, Budanov noted that Russian drones continue to strike Ukrainian territory.
Despite the ongoing attacks, he speculated that Russian forces would likely refrain from striking the capital city of Kyiv during the scheduled arrival of US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Sunday, Sept. 6.
Combat continues following rejected truce
Budanov’s comments follow a Saturday morning announcement from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) confirming that military operations remain ongoing after Russia refused to agree to the mutual ceasefire proposed for Sept. 5 through Sept. 9.
The General Staff of the AFU stated that a unilateral ceasefire is impossible due to the operational risk it poses to military personnel, adding that defensive tasks are continuing according to plan.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed its refusal to observe the temporary truce, publishing a report detailing its overnight combined strikes across Ukraine.
These overnight operations included a ballistic missile strike on an industrial enterprise in Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region, that killed five people and injured five others.
Concurrently, Russian forces launched consecutive drone strikes on an Epicenter shopping center in Mykolaiv, injuring two civilians and triggering a large fire.