KYIV: At least 26 people have been killed after Russian aerial bombs struck a humanitarian aid distribution centre in the village of Komyshuvakha, in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as “utterly horrific.”
According to regional governor Mykhailo Semikin, at least nine aerial bombs, each weighing approximately 3,000 kilograms, hit the village on Monday. Five people were injured, while 27 were initially reported missing.
Zelensky said the first strike targeted a local school being used to provide humanitarian assistance. A second attack then hit the area where people had taken shelter. Videos shared by the president showed a massive crater at the site, with rescue workers searching through the debris.
The reported death toll increased throughout the day. Zelensky initially reported 18 fatalities, while Ukraine’s State Emergency Service later confirmed that 24 people, including two rescuers and four police officers, had died. In his late Monday address, the president revised the figure to 26.
Zelensky said Russian forces must have known that local residents who remained in the village gathered at the centre every week to receive humanitarian assistance. He described the incident as further evidence that Moscow was not interested in reducing tensions.
Referring to a recent joint Russian-Ukrainian operation to evacuate civilians from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky during a temporary ceasefire facilitated by US First Lady Melania Trump, Zelensky said there had been an opportunity to demonstrate that peace was achievable. However, he accused Russia of sending the opposite message through continued attacks and civilian deaths.
Governor Semikin called the incident a devastating tragedy for the community, adding that several people remained trapped beneath the rubble. Rescue operations continued, although teams were repeatedly forced to suspend their work because of Russian drone attacks in the surrounding area.
Authorities have declared Tuesday a day of mourning throughout the Zaporizhzhia region. Russia’s military has not issued any public statement regarding the reported attack.
(Inputs from BBC)
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