War between Russia and Ukraine: Ukrainian raid on Donetsk sees death toll rise to at least 25

At least 25 people were killed in a missile attack on a market in Russian-occupied Ukraine, officials reported

Local officials reported that at least 25 people were killed on Sunday in a bombing on a market on the outskirts of the city of Donetsk in Russia-occupied Ukraine.

Denis Pushilin, head of the authorities established by Russia in Donetsk, said that 20 other people were injured in the attack on the Tekstilchik suburb, including two children. He said that the shells were fired by the Ukrainian army.

Kiev did not comment on the event and these allegations could not be independently verified.

Zelensky calls Trump's speech on Ukraine's war with Russia “very dangerous”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was concerned about the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House, and described Trump's claim that he could stop Ukraine's war with Russia within 24 hours as “extremely dangerous.”

In an interview with New Channel 4 in the UK, Zelensky invited the former president and front-runner for the Republican Party's presidential nomination to visit Kiev, but only if Trump keeps his promise.

“Donald Trump, I invite you to Ukraine, to Kiev. If you can stop the war during [sic] “I think 24 hours will be enough to come,” Zelensky said.

Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The Ukrainian leader also expressed concern about the United States taking unilateral action that failed to take Ukraine's point of view into account, noting the dearth of details about Trump's “peace plan.”

Zelensky called the former president's speech “very dangerous” and appeared concerned that Trump's idea of ​​a negotiated solution might involve Ukraine making major concessions to Russia.

“(Trump) will make his decisions on his own, without… I'm not even talking about Russia, but without both sides, without us. If he says this publicly, it's a little scary,” Zelensky said. I've seen lots and lots of victims, but it really makes me a little nervous.

He added: “Because even if his idea (to end the war) – which no one has heard of yet – does not work for us, he will do anything to implement his idea anyway. “That worries me a little.”

Trump has repeatedly insisted that he is in a good position to negotiate an end to the nearly two-year-old war, saying he has a good relationship with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. Throughout his political career, he has often lavished praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin, including after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The International Atomic Energy Agency warns against re-laying mines near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that mines will be re-laid around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, just months after a team of international inspectors reported they had been removed.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, warned that the presence of mines in the station's buffer zone, between its internal and external walls, “contradicts” the agency's safety standards, according to a statement published on the organization's website. The reading added that the International Atomic Energy Agency team sent to monitor the safety of the station had previously identified mines at the same site, but they were removed last November.

The head of Ukraine's state nuclear company on Saturday described the alleged mine-laying as “another crime” by Russian forces who have occupied the Zaporizhya plant since the first weeks of the war.

In a Telegram update, Energoatom's Pietro Cuttin said the situation at the station “will remain fragile and dangerous as long as the Russians remain there.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed concern that the war could cause a possible radiation leak from the facility, which is one of the ten largest nuclear power plants in the world. The plant's six reactors have been shut down for months, but still need power and qualified personnel to operate critical cooling systems and other safety features.

Russian bombing of the Ukrainian city of Hollyapol

On Saturday, Russian forces bombed the southern Ukrainian town of Hollyopol, wounding a local resident while standing in his yard, local governor Yuri Malashko wrote on Telegram.

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Earlier that day, Ukrainian regional officials reported that one civilian was killed and three others wounded when Russian forces bombed the southern Kherson region on Friday and overnight.

In southern Russia, near the Ukrainian border, an explosive drone crashed into a gas pipeline on the outskirts of the city of Belgorod, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. Gladkov said Ukraine was responsible for the attack, adding that no one was hurt.