Russian Bombing of Ukrainian Aid Center Kills 24, Including Rescuers and Police Officer

A devastating Russian bomb attack on a humanitarian aid center in Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of 24 people, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The strikes obliterated a school in the village of Komyshuvakha, located in the southeastern Zaporizhia region, which was being utilized as a humanitarian hub. Five additional individuals sustained injuries in the attack.

President Zelenskyy stated on Telegram that the site was hit by an initial air strike, followed by nine more bombs directly targeting the shelter where people had gathered. He emphasized that Russia could not have been unaware that residents of Komyshuvakha regularly received assistance at this location. "This is yet further proof that Russia does not want any kind of de-escalation, any real justice," Zelenskyy asserted.

Footage released by Ukrainian emergency services depicted a building reduced to smoldering rubble, with rescuers seen working at the scene. Regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin reported on Telegram that among the fatalities were a police officer and two State Emergency Service rescuers. He also indicated that 27 people are currently considered missing.

Zelenskyy further commented on social media that following a humanitarian operation in Oleshky, there had been a potential for progress toward peace. "With these killings, Russia is sending an entirely opposite signal: Russia is counting on more killings," he warned.

In other developments across Ukraine, emergency services reported that drone strikes in the eastern Kharkiv region injured 12 people and caused damage to a refrigeration facility, greenhouses, and residential buildings. Additionally, five people were reported injured in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, where a warehouse was targeted and homes were damaged.

Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed to have shot down 212 Ukrainian drones overnight. Separately, the head of Russia’s Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, reported that local air defenses had repelled an aerial attack, though he provided no further specifics.