With Ukraine conflict at half-year mark, no sign of end to the fighting

KYIV－As the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its sixth month there are no signs of a quick end to the fighting in what NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday described as "a grinding war of attrition".

Russia now holds large swathes of Ukraine's east and south, but its gains have accumulated slowly. Neither country has revealed how many troops it has lost during the past six months.

The conflict has created the largest postwar refugee crisis in Europe. The United Nations' refugee agency said a third of Ukrainians have fled their homes, with more than 6.6 million displaced within the country and over 6.6 million more across the continent.

Among issues drawing attention in the conflict is the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia and Ukraine traded accusations on Tuesday over who was to blame for military actions that have endangered the plant, as the UN urged both sides to insulate the Ukrainian facility from the fighting.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo on Tuesday called for the cessation of all military activities around the power plant.

Agreement is urgently needed to reestablish the plant as purely civilian infrastructure and to ensure the safety of the area, DiCarlo told the Security Council in a briefing.

Western countries have been sending supplies to Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced roughly $3 billion in additional aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come, US officials said.

Fresh package

The officials told The Associated Press that the package would fund contracts for as many as three types of drones and other weapons, ammunition and equipment.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday assured Kyiv of Berlin's support for as long as necessary. Scholz said after announcing fresh deliveries worth more than 500 million euros ($500 million) on Tuesday.

Also on Wednesday, Ukrainians were quietly marking 31 years of the country's independence, half a year after Russia's special military operation started.

Authorities in the capital banned large-scale gatherings until Thursday, fearing the national holiday might bring particularly heavy Russian missile attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged people to be vigilant.

"Please strictly follow the safety rules. Please observe the curfew," Zelensky said in a statement.

A small number of residents gathered at Kyiv's central square, where destroyed Russian tanks and mobile artillery were put on display over the weekend, and the national anthem is played every day at 7 am.

While Kyiv was girding for possible attacks during the holiday, Moscow said its military campaign has slowed down to reduce civilian casualties.

On Wednesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the slowing pace of Russia's campaign in Ukraine was deliberate, and driven by the need to reduce civilian casualties.

At a meeting of defense ministers of nations in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbekistan, Shoigu said: "Everything is being done to avoid casualties among civilians. Of course, this slows down the pace of the offensive, but we are doing this deliberately."

He also criticized Western states for sending military aid to Ukraine, saying it was prolonging the conflict.

"The US and its allies are continuing to pump weapons into Ukraine, increasing the number of victims and dragging the conflict out," Shoigu said.

Agencies - Xinhua