A US delegation met with lead Russian negotiator and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev in Miami, Florida, on March 11.[1] US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff reported on March 11 that he, former Senior Advisor to the US President Jared Kushner, and senior advisor to US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace Josh Gruenbaum met with Dmitriev in Miami.[2] Witkoff stated that the teams discussed “a variety of topics” and agreed to continue contacts, but did not offer further details. Neither side has released an official readout as of this publication.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that three groups of Ukrainian specialists departed to strengthen the air defenses of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.[3] Zelensky stated on March 11 that three groups of Ukrainian experts, military personnel, and engineers departed for the Middle East and that the military personnel are already “communicating and working.” Zelensky stated that Ukrainian National Security and Defense Secretary Rustem Umerov arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 11 to discuss areas of collaboration and will visit other countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia. Zelensky stated on March 9 that Ukraine recently sent interceptor drones and a team of drone experts to protect US military bases in Jordan and that another team of Ukrainian experts would go to the Middle East to help unspecified states evaluate their protective measures against Iranian drones.[4] The arrival of the Ukrainian experts and specialists underscores the concrete ways in which Ukraine’s experience in defense against Iranian drones can strengthen the air defenses of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.[5] ISW continues to assess that Ukraine can offer the United States and US allies in the Middle East unique insights into how to combat Iranian strikes, as the Ukrainian military has institutionalized and operationalized the fighting experience that Ukraine has learned throughout the past four years of war.[6]
The Kremlin continues intensifying its crackdown on control of the Russian information space and eliminating Russians’ access to the free internet. Russian authorities have restricted mobile data in Moscow City since March 5, and sources in the Russian State Duma told Russian business newspaper Vedomosti that authorities cut mobile data and internet in the Duma building for the second consecutive day on March 12.[7] State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin attributed the communication issues in the Duma building to issues of “state security.”[8] The Kremlin also continues to signal that it intends to continue throttling Telegram. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Telegram must comply with Russian laws to avoid a full block in Russia and called for Telegram to maintain “flexible” contact with Russian authorities.[9] State Duma Information Policy Committee Deputy Chairperson Andrey Svintsov claimed that Russian federal censor Roskomnadzor possesses the technical capability to throttle Russians’ access to Telegram even when Russian users access Telegram through virtual private networks (VPNs) and will gradually start throttling Telegram through VPNs.[10] Svintsov justified Russia’s throttling of Telegram and bans on some foreign social media applications by connecting “uncontrolled communications” to terrorist attacks in Russia.[11] The Kremlin may be accelerating its internet censorship campaign now to preempt domestic backlash and insulate the regime ahead of future unpopular decisions, such as rolling reserve call-ups – particularly ahead of the September 2026 Duma elections.[12] This campaign includes Kremlin efforts to compel Russians to use Russian state-controlled applications (such as the Max messenger app), imprison dissidents, and restrict access to foreign internet resources.[13]
The Kremlin’s censorship campaign continues to draw backlash in the Russian information space. A Russian Telegram channel commenting on political issues claimed that the information space dialogue about these Russian censorship efforts concluded that they are “madness.”[14] The channel claimed that the censorship efforts have destroyed a “narrative of unity” between the Russian government and people that the Russian government will struggle to recover ahead of the September 2026 Duma elections. The intensification of this censorship campaign continues to indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be as confident in his regime’s stability, and the Kremlin will likely continue building out Russian physical and social controls on the Russian internet, potentially ahead of a future conflict with NATO.[15]
Ukraine’s Western partners continue to provide military aid to Ukraine. German Bundestag President Julia Klockner announced during a speech to the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) on March 11 that Germany will provide Ukraine with an additional 200 million euros (roughly $230 million) to strengthen Ukrainian air defenses, including funding for reconnaissance drones and civil defense.[16]
Key Takeaways
- A US delegation met with lead Russian negotiator and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO Kirill Dmitriev in Miami, Florida, on March 11.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that three groups of Ukrainian specialists departed to strengthen the air defenses of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.
- The Kremlin continues intensifying its crackdown on control of the Russian information space and eliminating Russians’ access to the free internet.
- Ukraine’s Western partners continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk, in western Zaporizhia Oblast, and in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area. Russian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk.
- Ukrainian forces struck Russian oil infrastructure. Russian forces launched 94 drones against Ukraine, including Kharkiv City, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.