Vladimir Putin receives Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin

Vladimir Putin received Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin this Wednesday, the presidential press office confirmed to the Russian news agency TASS, which released a photo of the meeting. The topics of discussion between the Russian president and the US special envoy were not revealed.

Earlier, Witkoff was met at the airport by Kirill Dmitriev, one of those involved in negotiations with the US since the beginning of the year and responsible for economic cooperation between Russia and other countries. The two walked through Zaryadye Park in central Moscow about an hour after Witkoff's plane landed.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Russia last week damaged a nuclear submarine base in the far east of the country, the New York Times reports , based on satellite images obtained by Planet Labs, a commercial satellite company.

Images published by the newspaper show that on July 13, the Rybachiy base had a floating dock, which, however, appears displaced and separated from the base on August 3. No other damage is visible in the images released. Five submarines were seen anchored at nearby docks.

Russia has not issued any official statement about the damage to the base, and international institutions that monitor nuclear infrastructure have not reported any increase in radiation following the earthquake. The Rybachiy base is one of the main locations for Russia's Pacific Fleet on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

In a post on X this Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted Ukrainian operations on Russian territory, especially in Kursk, after Russia announced that Ukrainian troops are withdrawing from the Dnipropetrovsk region.

"For over a year, Ukraine has been conducting active operations on Russian territory—in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Once again, Ukrainians have managed to prove to the world that it is absolutely possible to put Russia in its place and respond to its attacks with dignity," writes the Ukrainian President. "The Kursk operation was truly exceptional. Global intelligence services did not foresee it. The Russians did not expect it. At a time when many around the world believed the situation had reached a stalemate, Ukrainians demonstrated that they would continue to defend their independence and force Russia to end the war," Zelensky writes.

Finally, the Ukrainian President thanks "every soldier, sergeant, and officer—everyone involved in carrying out the tasks in the Kursk region. Everyone who prevented another large-scale Russian offensive against our Sumy and Kharkiv regions. We are defending Ukraine. And we remember every man and woman who gave their lives in battles for Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!"

For over a year, Ukraine has been carrying out active operations on Russian territory – in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Once again, Ukrainians have managed to prove to the world that it is absolutely possible to put Russia in its place and to respond to its attacks with… pic.twitter.com/LOV8aFLmNT

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 6, 2025

Steve Witkoff was met at the airport by the director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, with whom he took a walk in Zaryadye Park, in central Moscow, reports the Russian news agency TASS.

Kirill Dmitriev is a member of the Russian delegation chosen by Putin earlier this year to negotiate with Donald Trump, and is the special envoy for economic cooperation with other countries, representing the Russian President.

Witkoff is also expected to meet with Vladimir Putin, although the meeting between the US special envoy and the Russian president has not yet been confirmed. Putin's official agenda currently includes a meeting with the King of Malaysia, who arrived in Moscow last Tuesday.

Vladimir Putin will receive the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar , at the Kremlin this Wednesday, August 6, the same day that Steve Witkoff arrives in Moscow to meet with Russian officials.

The Kremlin press service announced last Tuesday that the Russian President is expected to discuss with the Malaysian leader the development of relations between the two countries, as well as address regional and international issues.

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar arrived in Moscow on Tuesday and will stay until August 10. The King was elected in 2023, under a system unique in the world , in which the king is chosen from among nine royal families that govern the states, and remains in office for five years.

Russian security officials told TASS that Ukraine is withdrawing its troops from Novosyoka, in the Dnipropetrovsk region. "The enemy is withdrawing from Novosyoka, within Dnipropetrovsk," says the source, who claims the village is the largest logistical hub in this section of the frontline.

According to Reuters , Russia has controlled about 20% of Ukrainian territory since its initial invasion in February 2022, and has formally annexed four regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Moscow's announcement, despite denying a few weeks ago that Russian forces had entered the Dnipropetrovsk region.

In statements to the Russian news agency TASS, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that restoring relations with the United States of America “takes time.”

The statements come a day before a meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian officials, a meeting reportedly requested by the Kremlin in an attempt to regain Trump's trust and avoid further sanctions on Russia.

Steve Witkoff's plane has already landed at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, according to RIA Novosti. The trip was scheduled for this Wednesday, August 6th, following the Kremlin's request for a meeting to avoid new sanctions imposed by the US. Trump has threatened to impose sanctions by August 9th if Russia doesn't agree to a ceasefire.

According to the Kyiv Independent , the US special envoy's conversation will be with Russian officials, including, potentially, Vladimir Putin.

This is Witkoff's fifth visit to Russia since the beginning of the year. On his last two visits, in April, the US special envoy met with Vladimir Putin.

Good morning.

This Wednesday, August 6th, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Russian officials in Moscow, in a conversation that is expected to define possible new US sanctions against Russia. We'll be following all developments regarding the war in Ukraine in this liveblog. You can see what happened last Tuesday, August 4th, at this link.

Zelensky supports US proposal for immediate ceasefire and accuses Russia of intensifying attacks