Family killed in Russia as Zelenskyy says US raised NATO membership in talks

A mother, father and their two-year-old daughter were killed at their home in Russia’s Belgorod region in a Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday, according to Russian authorities. The deaths came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed that US negotiators had raised the possibility of NATO membership in discussions about a Ukrainian troop withdrawal from Donbas.

The fatal strike took place in Proletarsky, roughly 20km from the Ukrainian border. Russia’s Ministry of Defence separately said its forces had intercepted 29 Ukrainian drones overnight, with several of those interceptions occurring over the Moscow region.

Ukraine also reported a wave of Russian drone attacks. Its air force said Russia had launched 96 drones beginning on Friday evening, and that 81 had been brought down or electronically suppressed by early Saturday. Eight locations were struck, while debris fell at two others. A local electricity supplier reported power outages in parts of the northeastern Sumy region.

Speaking to reporters on Friday in remarks held under embargo until Saturday, Zelenskyy said US negotiators at this week’s talks in Abu Dhabi had asked whether Ukraine would pull its forces out of Donbas in return for membership in NATO. He said this was the first time the question had been raised, but stressed that there was no concrete offer.

Zelenskyy maintained that Ukraine would not withdraw its troops. However, he said the matter could be put to a referendum if Kyiv secured firm security guarantees, financing for its military and reconstruction funds. “NATO is back on the agenda,” he said.

Donbas consists of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, both of which are partly occupied by Russia. Moscow wants Ukrainian forces to leave the territory Kyiv continues to hold there. It also opposes Ukrainian membership in NATO, an alliance whose members commit to defending one another.

Zelenskyy also said on Friday that he would not change Ukraine’s constitution to establish neutrality, arguing that such a step would not ensure enduring security. He described the European Union and NATO as Europe’s “only real security” and warned that Moscow’s effort to revisit the continent’s security arrangements risked wars or escalation.

Ukraine has fought Russia’s full-scale invasion with Western support since February 2022. Direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations resumed this past week under US mediation, raising hopes for an early end to the conflict. Beyond renewed prisoner exchanges, however, progress appeared limited. European representatives are due to join the next round of discussions.