By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Russian strikes across Ukraine over the past 24 hours have killed at least 38 civilians and injured scores more, hitting an aid distribution centre, a hospice and a hospital, Ukrainian officials said.
Deadly Strike on Aid Centre in Zaporizhzhia
At least 33 people died when a glide bomb struck a school building used as an aid centre in the village of Komyshuvakha in the southern Zaporizhzhia region on Monday night. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the death toll could rise as more than 50 people may be trapped under the rubble, calling the attack "one of the largest mass killings committed by Russia during this war." Nine 3,000kg aerial bombs hit the site as residents gathered for humanitarian aid, causing the roof to collapse on those sheltering underground. Regional head Mykhailo Semikin described the scale of the tragedy as difficult to comprehend. Russia's defence ministry claimed the strike targeted Ukrainian military units and killed 25 servicemen, but the UN human rights monitoring mission said the aid distribution had been highly publicised and the attack appeared to violate fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.
Hospice and Hospital Attacks
In the central city of Dnipro, a Russian missile destroyed a hospice caring for nearly 50 terminally ill patients, the oldest aged 90. Mayor Boris Filatov shared photos showing elderly patients in beds amid blown-out windows and rubble. A separate strike in Dnipro killed two people and wounded 18. In the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, a hospital attack wounded 73 people, most of them elderly patients, according to Zelensky. Five more people were killed in aerial bomb and drone strikes on the eastern Donetsk region.
Energy Infrastructure Targeted
Russian forces also struck energy infrastructure in nine regions, disrupting water and heating supplies. Kyiv's water supply was entirely cut off due to damage to the capital's energy infrastructure, and the entire metro network was suspended on Tuesday. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the situation surrounding the city's power supply was becoming "very difficult."
Peace Talks Announced
As Ukraine counted its dead, the Kremlin announced it would participate in three-way peace talks with Ukraine brokered by the US in Abu Dhabi on 10-11 November, the first trilateral meeting since February. US President Donald Trump recently announced a deal to import Russian diesel, and First Lady Melania Trump, credited with brokering a truce in the besieged town of Oleshky last week, is set to host Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House on Thursday. Zelensky, speaking in Berlin, said it was important for Russia to engage seriously in ceasefire negotiations but that he had seen no indication of that so far.
Air Defense Shortages
The UN reported last month that civilian casualties in Ukraine had reached a record level as Russian forces resumed systematic attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine faces a critical air defense shortage due to stalled Western weapons deliveries and a lack of American Patriot interceptor missiles. Zelensky acknowledged that while the front line was stable, the situation in the air was not positive, particularly regarding air defence capabilities and protection of civilians.
