By Basant El-Faramawy
Russian forces struck a school being used as an aid distribution point in the village of Komyshuvakha in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Monday, killing at least 31 people and injuring five, according to regional officials.
Casualties and rescue efforts
Acting head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Mykhailo Semikin said almost 50 people remained unaccounted for. Among the dead were two rescue crew members and four police officers, with two rescue workers hospitalized. Police and rescue teams were working to reach residents believed trapped under rubble.
Zelensky condemns attack
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the school served as a shelter and a weekly humanitarian aid distribution site. He described the attack as a "vile terrorist strike" involving back-to-back aerial bombs, and accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians who gathered for aid packages.
Russian Defence Ministry claims military target
The Russian Defence Ministry said the strike targeted Ukrainian military units near Komyshuvakha and two other settlements, claiming up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen killed and military equipment destroyed. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians.
International reactions and peace talks
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack as barbaric and urged countries to oppose Russian participation in international sports. UN monitors reported a sharp rise in civilian casualties in July. A senior US official said delegations from Ukraine and Russia will meet in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11 to discuss ending the war, following a recent local ceasefire in Oleshky.
