Russian Bombs Strike Ukrainian Aid Center, Killing 26 in Zaporizhzhia
Rescue workers and police officers died in the attack on a school shelter in Komyshuvakha, complicating recent ceasefire efforts.
By David Marshall ·
Russian forces bombed a humanitarian aid distribution center and a nearby shelter in the village of Komyshuvakha on Monday, killing at least 26 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and national emergency services confirmed the toll, which includes two rescue crew members and four police officers. Five additional survivors, including two rescue workers, received treatment in local hospitals.
Zelenskyy described the sequence of events in his nightly video address. He stated that Russian aircraft dropped bombs on a school building that residents used as a shelter and pickup point for aid. Classes were suspended at the school because the village sits close to the frontline south-east of Zaporizhzhia city. Zelenskyy said the initial strike hit as people arrived, followed immediately by a second wave of aerial bombs targeting the shelter.
Local officials posted photos and video showing emergency responders searching through rubble with torches as night fell. Regina Kharchenko, secretary of the Zaporizhzhia city council, reported that 27 people remained missing after the blast. Mykhailo Semikin, a military official in the region, noted that rescue efforts were hindered by additional Russian drone attacks launched against the bombed area.
Zelenskyy argued that Moscow knew residents gathered weekly at the site to collect humanitarian packages. He said the attack demonstrated an intent to kill people rather than build on the recent ceasefire in the southern city of Oleshky, a pause brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. The ceasefire last week allowed for the evacuation of the Russian-occupied area and marked the longest pause in fighting in the fifth year of the war.
The Kremlin stated that no similar evacuation missions were planned at the moment. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Monday that talks between Russia and Ukraine would resume next week. The negotiations are scheduled for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi. President Donald Trump has pushed for a settlement, but no breakthrough has been reached as Kyiv and European allies monitor the diplomatic progress.
