Zelenskyy says Ukraine awaits White House sign-off on US drone production deal

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine is awaiting White House approval for a major drone production agreement proposed by Kyiv last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, as countries scramble to modernize their air defenses after the Iran war exposed shortcomings.

The proposed U.S.-Ukraine deal would cover various types of drones and air defenses that operate as a single system capable of protecting against swarms of hundreds or even thousands of Iranian-designed Shahed drones and missiles, Zelenskyy said in a message on social media.

“We have not yet had the opportunity to sign this document,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia, which invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, has fired more than 57,000 Shahed drones at Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said earlier this week. It launched more than 800 drones and decoys in its biggest nighttime barrage of Ukraine.

Iran has responded to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes by firing the same type of drones at targets in the Middle East.

A Patriot air defense missile costs $3 million–$4 million, while a Shahed costs about $130,000–$150,000, Zelenskyy said during a visit to Romania, adding that the United States produces about 60–65 Patriot missiles per month.

Ukraine has pioneered the development of cut-price drone killers, some of which cost a few thousand dollars, that have rewritten the air defense rule book. The conflict unfolding in the Middle East might prompt American officials to sign the drone production proposal, Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine is keen to lock in future foreign support for its ongoing effort to thwart Russia’s invasion, and drone production agreements could bring Kyiv some diplomatic leverage in negotiations with Moscow.

U.S.-mediated talks seeking to stop Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II are on hold due to the Iran war, though they could resume next week, according to the Ukrainian leader.

Zelenskyy was in NATO member Romania a day before he visits French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, as new research indicated Russian oil revenue that helps drive its invasion of Ukraine has risen since the Iran war began.

Russia’s daily revenue from oil sales during the Iran conflict, which has brought a sharp increase in the price of crude, has been on average 14% higher than in February, according to the nonprofit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Oil revenue is crucial for Moscow's war effort.

Russia has been earning 510 million euros ($588 million) every day this month from oil and liquefied natural gas exports, according to Isaac Levi of the CREA. Most Russian LNG goes to the European Union, while China, Turkey and India currently make up 90% of all Russia’s crude oil exports, he told The Associated Press in an interview.

The windfall is boosting the Russian economy, which previously was feeling the pinch of international sanctions, he said.

Macron’s office said his talks with the Ukrainian leader will focus on efforts to counter Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers that are shipping oil in violation of international sanctions but are hard to stop.

Zelenskyy met in Bucharest with Romanian President Nicușor Dan, who told a news conference that the two countries signed documents for joint drone production and energy sector cooperation.

Ukraine has exported a significant amount of its grain through Romania during the war, and Bucharest has provided energy support to Kyiv as Moscow’s forces blast Ukraine’s power grid.

Long-range drones operated by a special operations unit of the Ukraine Security Service struck a major oil depot and transshipment terminal in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, a senior Ukrainian official claimed Thursday.

The attack dealt a significant blow to Russia’s fuel logistics, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a separate drone attack on a compressor station serving a natural gas pipeline to Turkey was an “absolutely reckless action.”

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 10 Ukrainian drones overnight around the compressor station in the Krasnodar region. It said there was no damage to the facility.

Associated Press writer Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, shakes hands with Romanian President Nicusor Dan holding bilateral cooperation documents after a signing ceremony at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

An anti-air interceptor drone designed to destroy Russian attack drones from the Ukrainian company General Cherry is seen during a demonstration in Kyiv region, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

An anti-air interceptor drone designed to destroy Russian attack drones from the Ukrainian company General Cherry is seen during a demonstration in Kyiv region, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

An instructor from the Ukrainian company General Cherry demonstrates the operation of an anti-air interceptor drone designed to destroy Russian attack drones in Kyiv region, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

An instructor from the Ukrainian company General Cherry demonstrates the operation of an anti-air interceptor drone designed to destroy Russian attack drones in Kyiv region, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

PROVO, Utah (AP) — The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus was back in court Friday as a state judge weighs whether certain documents and proceedings should be open to the public.

The outcome will set the stage for an April hearing in which attorneys for Tyler Robinson will make their case to exclude TV cameras, microphones and photographers from the courtroom.

Judge Tony Graf has been weighing the public’s right to know details about the case against concerns by defense attorneys that the media attention could undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial. Prosecutors, Kirk’s widow and attorneys for news organizations have urged Graf to keep the proceedings open.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson, 22, who is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

Attorneys on Friday debated whether the defense's written request to exclude cameras, which was classified by the court as private, should be made public.

Staci Visser, an attorney for Robinson, told the judge that the defense is not arguing in the court of public opinion.

“There seems to be an idea that flooding the public sphere with information from this courtroom will somehow dispel conspiracy theories or shift public narratives. That, in and of itself, is concerning to the defense,” Visser said. “All we should be worried about is protecting what happens in this courtroom.”

Robinson’s defense team went on to say that an upcoming hearing will involve discussions about prejudicial pretrial publicity — for example, evidence that has yet to be admitted, confessions, personal opinions about guilt or public statements that would otherwise be inadmissible in court.

“We don’t want to be in that position of bringing in front of the court all of this prejudicial information and having the press regurgitate it yet one more time, and reinflicting a wound that we’re seeking to avoid,” defense attorney Michael Burt said.

Christopher Ballard, a prosecutor with the Utah County Attorney’s Office, dismissed those arguments. He said careful questioning during jury selection and tools like expanding the jury pool can ensure a defendant gets a fair trial.

“So just saying that this a content tornado or there's been a barrage of media coverage doesn't necessarily mean that there is going to be prejudice to the defendant,” Ballard said.

Ballard also said most of the evidence that will be discussed at the April 17 hearing is already public, so most of it should be open. But he agreed with the defense that parts of the hearing concerning personal privacy should be closed.

The judge will decide whether the hearing will be open or partially closed.

Coalitions of national and local news organizations, including The Associated Press, are fighting to preserve media access in the case.

Media access has been a focal point of several recent hearings, with the judge placing temporary restrictions on local TV stations for showing Robinson's shackles in violation of a court order and filming close-up shots that might allow viewers to interpret what he was discussing with his attorneys.

The judge also has prevented full video recordings of Kirk’s shooting from being shown in court after defense attorneys argued the graphic footage would interfere with a fair trial. An estimated 3,000 people attended the outdoor rally to hear Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA who helped mobilize young people to vote for President Donald Trump.

Prosecutors have said DNA evidence connects Robinson to the killing.

At a hearing in February, the judge declined to disqualify the local county attorney’s office from prosecuting the case after the defense argued there was a conflict of interest because a prosecutor’s daughter was present when Kirk was shot.

Defense attorney Staci Visser, left, and defendant Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, attend a hearing in 4th District Court, Friday, March. 13, 2026, in Provo, Utah. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)

Prosecuting and defense attorneys and defendant Tyler Robinson, right, accused in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, attend a hearing in 4th District Court, Friday, March. 13, 2026, in Provo, Utah. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)

Prosecutor Chad Grunander, center, listens, Friday, March. 13, 2026, in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, during a hearing for Tyler Robinson, who is accused in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)

Attorney Richard Novak, left, and defendant Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, attend a hearing, in 4th District Court, Friday, March. 13, 2026, in Provo, Utah. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP, Pool

Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf presides, Friday, March. 13, 2026, in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, during a hearing for Tyler Robinson, who is accused in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)

FILE - Tyler Robinson, who is accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court, in Provo, Utah, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

FILE - Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf presides over a hearing for Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, in 4th District Court, Feb. 3, 2026, in Provo, Utah. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File)