Two Ukrainians were killed by a Russian drone attack ahead of US talks, officials say.

 

People gathered near the scene of the attack on Saturday (Image: Reuters)

Two people were killed in a Russian drone attack on a home in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, local authorities say.

 The attack, which occurred on the eve of new negotiations between American and Ukrainian negotiators in the United States, also left two children, aged 11 and 15, with injuries. Since the beginning of the most recent conflict in Iran, negotiations to end the war have been put on hold. Volodymy Zelensky, President, wants his negotiators to talk about the US decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil, which Washington did to help keep energy prices down around the world. There is little hope of a breakthrough in talks that have been mediated by the United States to stop the fighting in Ukraine or change Russia's demands.

Read More: Why has Trump eased sanctions on Russian oil - and will it help Putin?

A friend of one of the victims told the Reuters news agency: "I stopped believing long ago.  When will this all just end?  When will they finally settle their differences? "How long can they keep negotiating?  Give it to the Russian side in such a way that it hurts them just as much as it hurts us. The mother of one of the victims told Reuters that she had been staying at a friend's apartment at the time of the strike.

 She continued, "I checked a Telegram channel when the strike happened and saw their fence and my son's car." Setting up a third trilateral meeting with Russia and working to improve relations between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, who has accused the Ukrainian leader of being the main obstacle to peace, are also on the US talks' agenda. Additionally, Ukraine is providing the United States with drone technology and expertise, which could be useful in the fight against Iran. Russian forces have frequently targeted Zaporizhzhia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

 Zaporizhzhia is one of Ukraine's four south-eastern regions Russia has annexed, without fully controlling any of them.

 

Zelensky stated last week to BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that the Middle East war sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran left Ukraine without any missiles. The president of Ukraine stated that Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, desired a "long war" between the United States, Israel, and Iran because it would weaken Kiev and divert US resources elsewhere. The Kremlin applauded the Trump administration's decision earlier this month to ease sanctions on nations that purchase Russian oil, but Ukrainians were deeply concerned. The US waiver, active for one month, will make it easier for countries to buy up Russian oil.

 Campaigners for Ukraine have claimed that it signifies a symbolic shift in the Western consensus away from putting as much pressure as possible on Russia.

Source: BBC