At least 31 people have been killed in a Russian airstrike on a school being used to distribute humanitarian aid in southeastern Ukraine, according to a regional official. The attack in the frontline village of Komyshuvakha, in Zaporizhzhia region, also left several people injured and dozens missing, raising fresh concerns about civilian safety as the war continues.
Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, said on national television that five people had been injured and almost 50 remained missing following Monday’s attack.
Emergency services said two rescue workers and four police officers were among those killed after Russian forces carried out a second strike following the initial bombing. Two additional rescue workers were receiving hospital treatment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces initially dropped aerial bombs on the school, which served as a shelter and a humanitarian assistance distribution point. Residents gathered there every Monday to collect aid packages.
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The school was not holding classes because Komyshuvakha is located too close to the front line. Zelenskiy said the first bombs struck as residents were arriving, followed by another attack targeting the shelter.
He described the incident as a deliberate attack on civilians, arguing that Russian forces could not have been unaware that local residents gathered at the site each week to receive humanitarian assistance.
Russia and Ukraine offer conflicting accounts
The Russian Defence Ministry disputed Ukraine’s account, saying its forces had targeted Ukrainian military units in areas around Komyshuvakha and two other settlements in Zaporizhzhia region.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry claimed that up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed. It also said 15 vehicles and an electronic warfare station had been destroyed.
Russia and Ukraine both deny deliberately targeting civilians during the conflict.
The latest attack comes amid wider concerns about the increasing civilian toll of the war. In August, UN monitors reported a sharp rise in casualties compared with the previous year, saying July had recorded more civilian deaths and injuries in Ukraine than any month since March 2022.
Regina Kharchenko, secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, said 27 people were missing following the strike. Police officers and rescue teams were attempting to reach residents believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Photographs shared online showed smouldering debris scattered across the affected area, illustrating the destruction caused by the bombing.
Zelenskiy says attack undermines humanitarian efforts
Zelenskiy said the strike demonstrated that Moscow was unwilling to build on recent humanitarian initiatives aimed at reducing suffering in the conflict.
He pointed to a six-day local ceasefire in the southern city of Oleshky, in Kherson region, which had been brokered by US first lady Melania Trump. The arrangement was intended to allow humanitarian assistance to reach residents and provide an opportunity for those wishing to leave the city to be evacuated.
The ceasefire expired on Sunday, one day before the attack in Komyshuvakha.
Zelenskiy argued that Russia had missed an opportunity to continue humanitarian measures after the Oleshky initiative, despite Ukraine proposing further steps. He accused Moscow of continuing military operations instead of pursuing de-escalation.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also condemned the bombing, describing it as another attack demonstrating disregard for human life.
Sybiha used the incident to renew calls for Russia’s exclusion from international sporting competitions following a ruling by sport’s highest court ordering the country’s reinstatement in major tournaments.
He argued that Russia should face international condemnation and consequences rather than a return to international recognition, saying its actions could not be separated from its national flag or sporting representation.
New US-mediated talks planned in Abu Dhabi
The attack comes at a sensitive moment for diplomatic efforts to end the war. A senior US official told Reuters that Washington plans to bring Ukrainian and Russian delegations together in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
The proposed discussions are expected to address possible steps towards ending the conflict, post-war security arrangements and measures to reduce military escalation.
US negotiators have been seeking progress before winter, as the conflict continues into its fifth year. The last US-mediated peace talks took place in February, before the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran.
The latest civilian casualties highlight the difficulties facing those diplomatic efforts. While Washington is attempting to bring both sides back to negotiations, continued attacks near the front line demonstrate the humanitarian costs of the conflict and the limited progress towards de-escalation.
The planned Abu Dhabi meeting will therefore take place against a backdrop of renewed violence, conflicting military claims and unresolved disagreements over the conditions for ending the war.
With information from Reuters.
