Russian Drone Strike Kills Two in Zaporizhzhia as Ukraine Seeks Peace Talks

The attack came ahead of expected U.S.-Ukraine talks in Miami to resume stalled negotiations.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 10:24am

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A Russian drone attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least two people and wounded two children, a Ukrainian official said. The strike came just before expected U.S.-Ukraine talks in Miami, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his delegation would aim to resume stalled trilateral negotiations to end Russia's invasion.

Why it matters

The attack on Zaporizhzhia underscores the ongoing conflict and violence in Ukraine, even as the country seeks to restart diplomatic efforts to end the war. The upcoming U.S.-Ukraine talks represent a potential opportunity to reinvigorate peace negotiations, which have been on hold as international attention has shifted to the conflict between Israel and Iran.

The details

According to Zaporizhzhia regional head Ivan Fedorov, a Russian drone struck a private house, killing a man and a woman and wounding two children. The attack came just before Ukrainian officials were set to meet with U.S. representatives in Miami, where they planned to push for the resumption of stalled trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. that have yet to produce any breakthroughs.

  • The drone attack occurred on Saturday morning in Zaporizhzhia.
  • The expected U.S.-Ukraine talks in Miami were reported to take place later on the same day.

The players

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The President of Ukraine, who said he had sent an official delegation to the United States in a bid to move forward suspended U.S.-brokered talks on ending Russia's invasion.

Ivan Fedorov

The Zaporizhzhia regional head, who reported that the Russian drone attack killed at least two people and wounded two children.

Dmitry Peskov

A senior Kremlin official who indicated that a new round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv will likely take place soon.

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What they’re saying

“The pause is temporary, we hope it's temporary regarding the continuation of the trilateral format.”

— Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman

“The main tasks in the U.S. will be to ensure that the trilateral talks resume and that Washington continues to allow other NATO countries to purchase American weapons to send to Ukraine.”

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This attack on Zaporizhzhia highlights the ongoing violence in Ukraine, even as the country seeks to restart diplomatic efforts to end the war. The upcoming U.S.-Ukraine talks represent a potential opportunity to reinvigorate peace negotiations, which have been sidelined as international attention has shifted to other conflicts.