Ukrainian civilians suffer more deaths

By Stefan J. Bos  

People in Ukraine were again confronted with the horrors of war on Sunday as authorities said at least three civilians were killed in a Russian attack on the frontline village of Guliaipole in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

The two men and a woman were the latest known civilian victims in the more than two-year-long war.

Officials suggested that the death toll could have been higher if Ukraine's forces had not destroyed 17 attack drones launched by Russia overnight.

Earlier on Saturday, two Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least eight people and wounded some 10 more people in the northeastern Kharkiv area, officials said.

Separately, in the eastern region of Donetsk, artillery shelling killed four people in the village of Kurakhivka, including a 38-year-old woman and her 16-year-old daughter, according to local authorities.

Elsewhere, a 25-year-old man in the village of Krasnohorivka was reportedly killed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy suggested the death toll could rise, saying Ukraine is running out of air defence missiles if Russia keeps up its intense long-range bombing campaign.

NATO pledge

The secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, pledged that the military alliance celebrating its 75th anniversary won't abandon Ukraine.

Talks have been underway on his proposal to do so via a 100 billion-euro ($107 billion) five-year fund. "We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul," he said. "We are transforming NATO's comprehensive assistance package into a multi-year program of assistance," Stoltenberg added.  

However, Ukrainian troops on the battlefield also face other challenges. They say Russia uses drones dropping teargas and other chemicals, although they have been banned during war under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

In turn, Moscow has accused Kyiv of attacking the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest, on Sunday.

The strike allegedly damaged a truck parked near the station's canteen, and there were no reports of radiation leaks or casualties.

Russia is also investigating a dam burst in the Orenburg region that forced thousands, including at least 900 children, to evacuate. However, there were no indications that Ukraine was responsible.

Peace summit

As battles raged, Ukrainian President Zelensky said he hoped that he and Swiss President Viola Amherd would set a date within days for what he called "a world peace summit" in Switzerland.

At least 80 to 100 nations are expected to attend the meeting.  

Yet, Moscow said the peace summit would have been pointless without Russian participation.  

Previously, Kyiv made clear that Russia won't be invited to the gathering.