At least 26 people were killed after Russian bombs hit an aid distribution centre in Komyshuvakha, a village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. The attack, which the Ukrainian president described as "utterly horrific," involved at least nine 3,000‑kg aerial bombs that struck the site on Monday.
Regional head Mykhailo Semikin reported that five people were injured and 27 were initially missing. The bombs struck a local school used for humanitarian needs and a shelter where residents were seeking refuge. Rescue teams were seen searching through rubble, but had to halt operations several times due to Russian drone activity in the area.
President Volodymyr Zelensky first announced a death toll of 18, later updated it to 24 after Ukraine’s state emergencies service DSNS confirmed 24 fatalities, including two rescuers and four police officers. In a video address, he raised the figure to 26, noting that the Russians could not have been unaware that the village received weekly humanitarian aid.
Semikin called the strike a "terrible tragedy" and confirmed that people remained trapped under the rubble. A day of mourning was declared across the entire Zaporizhzhia region for Tuesday.
The attack comes amid stalled peace talks in Abu Dhabi, where teams from Ukraine, Russia and the United States are scheduled to resume negotiations after a February suspension. No major breakthrough is expected as Moscow has intensified attacks following a temporary ceasefire brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump in the occupied city of Oleshky.
Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The latest strike further escalates tensions and underscores the ongoing conflict’s impact on civilian infrastructure and aid delivery.
