Russia rejects ceasefire initiative as fighting continues along front

Russian forces have refused to temporarily halt fire.

"A ceasefire cannot be unilateral or asymmetric, otherwise it would pose a threat to the lives and health of our service members. Therefore, the objectives of the defensive operation are currently being carried out in full," Ukraine's General Staff said.

Suspilne, citing a source in the General Staff, also reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to carry out their assigned tasks to defend Ukraine as planned.

Dmytro Filatov, commander of the 1st Separate Assault Regiment, told Suspilne that the General Staff had ordered Ukrainian forces not to conduct strikes at operational depth. At the tactical level, however, no restrictions on fire or combat operations had been imposed on his unit.

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that Moscow had rejected the ceasefire by publishing a report on overnight strikes against Ukraine. The ministry claimed Russian forces carried out combined strikes on industrial facilities in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as well as logistics centers and electrical substations in Mykolaiv and Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts.

Russia, however, did not mention the deaths of four people in an attack on Kamianske in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast or those injured in a strike on a civilian shopping center in Mykolaiv.

Sept. 5-9 ceasefire initiative

On Sept. 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would visit Ukraine on Sept. 6 after visiting Russia on Sept. 5. Ukraine suspended long-range strikes on Russia during this period to ensure the "normal functioning of Russian airspace," Zelenskyy said.

Overnight on Sept. 5, Ukrainska Pravda reported that Ukraine's Defense Forces had been ordered to temporarily observe a ceasefire along the front line from 12 a.m. Sept. 5 through 11:59 p.m. Sept. 8. The move was a Ukrainian initiative, and no agreement with Russia had been reached. Sources cited by Suspilne, however, denied reports of a ceasefire on the front line.

RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukraine was awaiting Russia's response to a proposal for a temporary halt to airstrikes. The U.S. side was expected to discuss the proposal separately with Moscow amid media reports that Witkoff and Kushner had concerns about their safety during their visit to Ukraine.

The New York Times reported that the United States had asked Ukraine to suspend drone attacks on Moscow and Russian energy facilities during Witkoff and Kushner's visit.