Two Killed in Russian Drone Strike as Ukraine Pushes for Peace Talks

A Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia killed two civilians and wounded two children Saturday morning. The deadly strike occurred as Ukraine sent a delegation to the U.S. seeking to restart stalled peace negotiations.

KYIV, Ukraine — Two civilians lost their lives when a Russian drone struck a residential home in Zaporizhzhia on Saturday morning, according to Ukrainian officials, as diplomatic efforts to revive peace negotiations continue.

Regional administrator Ivan Fedorov confirmed that both a man and woman died in the attack, while two children sustained injuries when the drone targeted the private residence.

The deadly assault occurred as Ukrainian and U.S. representatives prepared for discussions scheduled to take place in Miami later Saturday, according to Ukrainian state media reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday evening that he had dispatched an official delegation to America with the goal of restarting the currently suspended U.S.-facilitated peace negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s military invasion.

The three-way discussions that include Russia have been stalled recently as global focus has shifted to the Iran conflict, despite failing to achieve significant progress on critical issues.

White House officials have not verified any scheduled meetings with the Ukrainian representatives.

Zelenskyy outlined that the delegation’s primary objectives in the United States include getting the trilateral negotiations back on track and securing Washington’s continued authorization for NATO allies to buy American military equipment for transfer to Ukraine.

A top Kremlin representative suggested Friday that renewed U.S.-mediated discussions between Moscow and Kyiv could happen in the near future.

“The pause is temporary, we hope it’s temporary regarding the continuation of the trilateral format,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.

Over the past year, Western European leaders have consistently criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for stalling negotiations while attempting to leverage his larger military force to gain battlefield advantages and seize additional Ukrainian territory. Russian troops currently occupy approximately 20% of Ukraine.

The recent Middle East crisis that started February 28 with Israeli and American military actions against Iran has shifted global focus away from Ukraine’s situation.

Meanwhile, Russia benefits from a temporary U.S. exemption on petroleum sanctions, providing financial gains, while Ukraine faces severe budget shortfalls and continues awaiting a promised 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) European Union loan package.