Ukrainians long for peace amidst fresh fighting

By Stefan J. Bos

Evelyn, a 23-year-old pharmacist in the city of Kryvyi Rih, says that she lives with her parents now because she is, in her words, “scared to be alone because of the war.”

She recalled being awakened at night by drones and missiles hitting residential buildings, adding, “It’s scary and very loud,” as such attacks killed at least one and injured five in her area in recent days.

She still hopes to start a family one day and live in peace.

Authorities say that since Saturday, Russian strikes around Ukraine killed one person and wounded 19.

The areas targeted reportedly included the southern Odesa region, where a Russian missile struck port facilities in the city of Odesa, damaging infrastructure and a Panamanian-flagged vessel belonging to a European company.

Peace plan

In London, a number of European Union and NATO countries are attending a historic security summit focusing on Ukraine’s security.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had long conversations with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and later spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald J. Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.

“We have now agreed that the United Kingdom, along with France and possibly one or two others, will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, and then we discuss that plan with the United States,” Starmer said.

Yet rebuilding the nation won’t be easy, as experts say Ukraine now has the highest amount of unexploded ordinance in the world, with about one-third of the country potentially mined.

At least some one million people are believed to have been killed and injured since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Additionally, Ukraine is still searching for more than 19,000 Ukrainian children that it says have been illegally transferred to Russia.

They are among an estimated 10.6 million Ukrainians, about 25 percent of the population, that have been displaced since the war began.

The United Nations is launching a humanitarian and refugee response plan for 2025 and appealing for $3.3 billion to support millions affected by the crisis.