Attack in Zaporizhzhia Amid Diplomatic Push
A Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed two people and wounded six others on Saturday, local authorities said, as Ukrainian and American negotiators met in Miami to discuss ending the war. The strike hit a residential home, injuring two children aged 11 and 15, according to regional head Ivan Fedorov. The attack occurred as Ukrainian negotiators met with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the U.S. president's son-in-law, on the first day of talks.
Zelenskyy said in his evening address that talks would continue on Sunday. He emphasized the urgency of understanding Russia's willingness to end the war "honestly and decently," particularly given deteriorating geopolitical conditions in the Middle East.
Power Outages Across Northern Ukraine
The same day, a Russian drone attack left most of Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region without power, according to local governor Viacheslav Chaus. The regional capital, also called Chernihiv, lost power entirely, the city administration confirmed. The region borders Russia and Belarus and had a pre-war population of nearly a million. Chaus said repair works were underway to restore electricity.
Russia has conducted a vast bombardment campaign against Ukrainian energy facilities throughout the war, causing regular blackouts across the country.
Casualties on Both Sides
Ukrainian officials reported four people killed in Russian strikes on Saturday. Beyond the two deaths in Zaporizhzhia, officials in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region reported two additional deaths and five injuries from strikes there.
Russian Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that Ukrainian shelling of the Belgorod border region killed two women and wounded another person. The reciprocal attacks underscored the intensity of fighting even as diplomacy resumed.
Negotiations Amid Stalled Progress
Witkoff characterized the Miami talks as "constructive," saying they were "part of ongoing mediation efforts, with discussions focused on narrowing and resolving remaining items to move closer to a comprehensive peace agreement." Zelenskyy said the key issue was determining "how ready Russia is to move toward a real end to the war."
Trilateral talks involving Russia have been suspended and have produced no breakthrough on key issues. Multiple rounds of negotiations late last year and earlier this year failed to yield a ceasefire. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that a new round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv would likely take place soon.
Zelenskyy's Agenda and Western Concerns
Zelenskyy's main goals for the U.S. talks included ensuring trilateral negotiations resume and securing continued American permission for NATO countries to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine. He also planned to discuss the Trump administration's decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil, a move implemented to help keep global energy prices down but one that sparked deep concern among Ukrainians.
Ukraine and its Western allies have accused the Trump administration of being too pro-Russian in ceasefire efforts, citing a draft document that called on Ukraine to cede land still under Kyiv's control. Western European officials have repeatedly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of delaying negotiations while pressing his army's battlefield advantage to capture more territory. Russian forces currently hold nearly 20% of Ukraine.
Financial Pressures on Kyiv
Ukraine faces mounting financial strain as the war continues. The country remains without a 90-billion-euro loan promised by the European Union, while Russia benefits from a temporary U.S. waiver on oil sanctions that makes it easier for countries to purchase Russian fuel. The waiver, active for one month, marks what pro-Ukraine campaigners describe as a symbolic shift in Western consensus away from maximum pressure on Russia.
Zelenskyy previously told the BBC that Ukraine faced a missile deficit partly because the Middle East conflict, ignited by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, had diverted resources and international attention away from Ukraine.
The sources also report that the EU's 90-billion-euro loan for Ukraine is being held up by Hungary's Viktor Orban, the country's leader.