US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Friday, where he is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the Interfax news agency. Witkoff has become a central figure in Washington’s push to end the war in Ukraine and has already held three lengthy meetings in Moscow.

His visit comes at a time of renewed violence in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported that five people, including a child, were killed in fresh Russian attacks on Friday. In the city of Pavlohrad, a drone strike killed three people, and 14 others were wounded, including a six-year-old boy and two teenagers, aged 15 and 17. City infrastructure, a social institution, and several vehicles were also damaged in the attack.

“The aggressor again conducted a mass attack on the region with drones,” said Serhiy Lysak, governor of the central Dnipropetrovsk region. Eleven drones were reportedly shot down over the area.

In a separate incident, prosecutors in Donetsk said two people were killed when a Russian aerial bomb struck a residential building in the settlement of Yarova. The industrial city of Pavlohrad, with a pre-war population of around 100,000 and significant rail infrastructure, has been repeatedly targeted.

Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, did not immediately comment on the latest wave of strikes. The renewed violence comes just a day after at least 12 people were killed in missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other cities, prompting Trump to post a blunt message on social media: “Vladimir, STOP!”

Despite the escalation, Trump expressed cautious optimism about the state of peace negotiations. “This next few days is going to be very important. Meetings are taking place right now,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I think we’re going to make a deal … I think we’re getting very close.” However, he also warned that he might walk away from the peace efforts if Ukraine and Russia fail to come to terms.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 103 drones in overnight attacks across five regions, causing widespread damage. An emergency worker was also injured in a repeat attack in Pavlohrad. The eastern city of Kharkiv was also targeted, with several private buildings reportedly damaged.