Russian forces bombed a school used as an aid distribution centre in southern Ukraine on Monday, killing at least 26 people. BBC
The attack struck the village of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. The village lies about 25 kilometres east of Zaporizhzhia city and roughly 12 kilometres from the front line. At least nine 3,000kg guided aerial bombs hit the school, where residents gathered every Monday to collect humanitarian aid. A second strike then targeted a nearby shelter where survivors had taken cover. Independent
Among the dead were two emergency rescue workers, Denys Konovalenko and Oleksy Sushchevsky, both 44. Four police officers also died. Five people were injured. Forty-eight others remained missing as search operations continued into the night. France24
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike "utterly horrific" and "vile" in posts on social media. He said the attack was "further proof that Russia wants no de-escalation." Zelenskyy wrote that Russia could not have failed to know the building was used for humanitarian purposes. "With these killings, Russia is sending an entirely opposite signal: Russia is counting on more killings," he said. Guardian
The bombing occurred hours after a rare six-day ceasefire in the neighbouring Kherson region expired on Sunday. The truce, brokered with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump, had allowed humanitarian missions and evacuations from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. It was the longest local ceasefire since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. A senior Ukrainian official said Moscow had rejected Kyiv's proposal to extend the agreement. France24
Emergency responders used flashlights to search through rubble as night fell. Rescue efforts were hindered when Russian drones launched additional attacks in the area. The strike came ahead of trilateral peace talks scheduled for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had used the ceasefire pause to fortify positions, calling it "completely normal practice." Kyiv Post
