Three civilians killed as Zelenskyy prepares to meet Trump amid renewed fighting

Three civilians were killed in the latest round of Ukrainian and Russian attacks as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week. In Russia’s Belgorod border region, Ukrainian strikes hit the border town of Shebekino, killing a woman, while a drone strike on the village of Rakitnoe killed a man, officials said. Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the shelling struck a private home in Shebekino and confirmed the death in Rakitnoe. The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has faced frequent cross-border attacks since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In Ukraine, a man was killed and residential buildings and infrastructure were damaged by Russian shelling in Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region, Serhii Horbunov, head of the city’s military administration, said Sunday.

The latest round of attacks came after Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone strike targeting regions across Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, according to Ukrainian authorities. Ukraine’s air force said Russia unleashed a total of 619 drones and missiles during the assault, underscoring the ongoing, broad-based campaign that has persisted despite international diplomacy. In the border region further north, Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission and lingered for about 12 minutes on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said. The incident occurred just over a week after NATO aircraft downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war could spill over into allied territory.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukraine had been targeted by more than 1,500 strike drones, over 1,280 guided aerial bombs, and 50 missiles of various types over the previous week. He added that thousands of foreign components had been found in the Russian weaponry, and urged support from Western partners, pointing to the 19th EU sanctions package as potentially painful for Moscow and calling on the United States to join the Europeans. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had presented that sanctions package on Friday, aiming to increase pressure on Russia amid the war.

The article comes as Zelenskyy is anticipated to meet Trump on the UNGA sidelines this week, with the Ukrainian leader seeking to gauge how close Kyiv and its partners are to finalizing long-term security guarantees. In a separate development, Trump acknowledged the Estonian airspace episode in a Sunday exchange with reporters, saying that the United States would back Poland and the Baltic states if they continue to face Russian aggression, though he offered few specifics. Russia’s Defense Ministry, for its part, denied that its aircraft violated Estonia’s airspace.

The fighting—and the broader struggle over security guarantees—continues to unfold against a backdrop of international diplomacy, sanctions, and allied efforts to deter further Russian aggression. The war has shown no clear end in sight as Kyiv pursues Western security assurances and Moscow maintains its campaign against Ukrainian targets, with both sides signaling willingness to escalate or adapt depending on the evolving political and military landscape. As the UNGA week approaches, observers will be watching for any new steps toward diplomacy or additional aid commitments from Western allies.