Ukraine War Update: Civilians Killed and Injured in Ongoing Attacks;

An 82-year-old woman was killed and three others injured in a Russian strike on the city of Kupiansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, according to regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov. Meanwhile, in the Donetsk region, another Russian attack left one person dead and three injured, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. In Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian drones and artillery targeted the Nikopol area. A rescue worker was wounded, and a fire truck was damaged, said Governor Serhiy Lysak. On the other side of the front line, a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and injured two others in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency. TASS also claimed that Russian air defenses shot down 151 Ukrainian drones, four guided bombs, and destroyed two missile launchers — all in a single day. In another report from occupied territory, the Russian-installed governor of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said that Ukrainian shelling killed one person and injured two more. The Russian Defense Ministry announced that its troops had taken control of the settlement of Zaporizke in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region — a claim that has not been independently verified. Diplomatic Developments and Political Tensions Germany has confirmed its intention to join European efforts to provide long-term security guarantees to Ukraine. However, German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, currently visiting Kyiv, emphasized that these plans are still in early stages and must be guided by Ukraine’s needs. In the United States, former President Donald Trump was asked why Russian President Vladimir Putin seems unwilling to hold peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump responded, “Because he doesn’t like him,” adding that he initially thought the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be easier to resolve, but it turned out to involve “some big personality conflicts.” The Kremlin reported that Putin spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, where they discussed a recent meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska. According to the Kremlin, President Pezeshkian expressed support for continued diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war. At a joint press conference in Kyiv with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, President Zelenskyy said Ukraine aims to raise at least $1 billion per month to purchase weapons from the United States to support its defense. In a political setback, Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill that would have extended financial aid for Ukrainian refugees. This move could also threaten Ukraine’s access to Starlink internet services and the secure storage of Ukrainian government data in Poland. Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, from a different political party than the president, criticized the decision on social media, saying, “This marks the end of Poland’s support for Starlink in Ukraine, and for safe data storage.” Background Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the conflict continues to escalate with mounting civilian casualties and growing international implications

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