President Volodymyr Zelensky pays tribute to troops killed while defending Kyiv region from Russian invasion in 2022, Moshchun, Ukraine, March 21, 2026

Saturday’s Coverage: Zelensky Pursues Drone Deal With US

UPDATE 0700 GMT:

Four civilians were murdered and injured at least 11, including two children, by Russian attacks on the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine on Saturday.

Power was cut to much of the region after a drone strike on an energy facility.

In his nightly address to the nation, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke of attacks on the Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

In Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, two civilians were killed and eight wounded amid 700 attacks on 39 settlements.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s top negotiators have met US officials in Florida, with a second day of talks planned on Sunday.

Kyiv’s delegation includes Rustem Umerov, the head of the National Security and Defense Council, and Presidential Chief of Staff Kyrolo Budanov. They are seeking American commitments on Ukraine’s territorial integrity, security guarantees, reconstruction, and a joint drone production program.

Donald Trump’s envoys, real estate developer Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, led the Americans.

Trilateral talks with Russia, after three sets earlier this week, have been suspended because of the US-Israel War on Iran. Vladimir Putin’s top financial advisor Kyrill Dmitriev met Witkoff and Kushner on March 11.

Umerov posted after the session, “We continued discussing key issues and the next steps within the negotiation track. Particular attention was paid to aligning approaches for further progress toward practical results.”

The White House described the latest meeting as “constructive”, with discussions “focused on narrowing and resolving remaining items to move closer to a comprehensive peace agreement”.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky followed up in his nightly address to the nation:

The key issue is to understand how ready Russia is to move toward a real end to the war – honestly and with dignity – especially now, when geopolitical tensions have increased due to the situation around Iran.