Russian attacks kill at least seven people in Ukraine

Russian airstrikes in regions on Ukraine's frontline have killed at least seven people and wounded several others, Ukrainian officials said on May 31, as there is uncertainty over whether negotiators from both countries will meet on June 2 for the second round of direct talks.

Russian forces attacked civilian areas with missiles in a district near the front in the Zaporizhzhia region, destroying at least one house and damaging several other buildings. Among those killed, there was also a 9-year-old girl, said the regional chief, Ivan Federov. He said that a 16-year-old boy was also injured in this attack.

Three people were killed by Russian attacks in Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, which has been the scene of fierce fighting for months, while two others were killed in a nearby village, said Vadym Filashkin, a senior regional official.

The regional chief of Kherson, Oleksandr Prokudin, said that a 60-year-old man was killed by Russian shelling in this city.

Kherson was liberated during the Ukrainian counteroffensive at the end of 2022, a few months after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But, Kherson is constantly attacked by Russian forces located in positions across the Dnieper River.

The Ukrainian military announced that it has recorded nearly 200 clashes over the past 24 hours, with Russian forces attacking parts of the front line in eastern Ukraine.

Further north, the governor of the Sumi region ordered the evacuation of 11 more towns and villages, as Russian forces are increasing pressure on what Ukrainian authorities describe as an attempt to create a "safe zone" near the border.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on May 31 that Russian forces have captured the village of Vodolahi in the Sumi region, near the border with Russia. He also said that Russian troops have taken control of the village of Novopil in the Donetsk region.

Meanwhile, officials in the Russian region of Kursk, located near Sum, said ten people were injured by Ukrainian drone strikes overnight.

None of the reports on the fighting could be independently confirmed.

Russia has rejected calls from Ukraine, the United States and Kiev's European backers for a 30-day ceasefire, with the possibility of an extension, continuing the attacks and calling on Ukraine to send negotiators for talks proposed to be held in Istanbul on June 2.

The first round of talks held on May 16 ended with an agreement on a major prisoner exchange, but without any progress towards overcoming the major differences between the two countries in terms of the path to peace.

Russia has said it will use the proposed June 2 meeting to present a memorandum with its terms for a peace agreement. Kiev has stated that it is ready to participate, but wants to see the Russian memorandum in advance./REL