Russia is considering the possibility of offering an "air truce" with Ukraine as a concession to US President Donald Trump, Bloomberg agency claims, citing sources.
According to its data, Moscow may take this step, but only on condition that Kiev also abandons drone and missile strikes, Focus writes.
The publication notes that the visit of Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia provides a belated opportunity to reach an agreement with the US, even if expectations for success are low.
According to a source at the agency, one of the potential proposals could be to stop air strikes using drones and missiles as a gesture of de-escalation, provided that Ukraine also agrees to this.
At the same time, Russian troops continue to advance on the battlefield, and Moscow's military goals remain unchanged, which is why a complete ceasefire remains unlikely.
"No parameters of such a truce have been announced or described in detail at this stage. For example, in which areas of the airspace of Ukraine and Russia the "air truce" will operate, what specific types of aircraft will fall under the restrictions on their combat use, for how long such an agreement will be concluded and, most importantly, what are the ultimate goals of the "air truce", Russian analyst Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok told Gazeta.ru.
The analyst specifies what a truce is, but without a cessation of hostilities:
"It all comes down to the fact that air power is a decisive force in any armed conflict.
For this purpose, it is enough to recall the tasks performed by aviation, missile forces, the navy and unmanned aerial vehicles: striking at objects of the enemy's defense-industrial complex; destroying enemy aviation on the ground and in the air; disruption of the command and control of troops and weapons; destruction of enemy reserves; interruption of the transportation of troops and materiel; covering one's own troops and facilities from strikes by enemy air attack and air reconnaissance; conducting air reconnaissance.
If, as a result of the conclusion of an "air truce" all this is excluded from the list of tasks of the armed forces, what will remain? Assault attacks? So in this case it should be emphasized unequivocally and unequivocally that the "air truce" means the cessation of armed struggle. Just one example - a breakthrough of the enemy's prepared defense without air support of the troops is simply impossible.
Now about who benefits and what are the ultimate goals of such proposals. In recent weeks, Russia has sharply increased the intensity of air strikes on targets in Ukraine, including using a record number of drones.
According to the Russian analyst, such a ceasefire would be beneficial for Ukraine, and given Russia's successes on the front, Moscow would hardly agree to such a move.