Russian bombing of aid center in Ukraine leaves 26 dead

BanglaPress Desk: At least 26 people have been killed and five others injured in two separate attacks on a humanitarian aid center in the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the attack as "horrific."
The incident took place on Monday (November 2) in the village of Komyshuvakha, in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Citing regional administration head Mykhailo Semykin, Ukrainian authorities reported that at least nine heavy bombs were dropped on the area. Initially, 27 people were reported missing following the attack.
Zelenskyy stated that the first strike hit a local school, which was being used for the distribution of humanitarian aid. He further claimed that a second strike targeted people who had taken shelter there following the initial attack.
Following the incident, Zelenskyy released a video from the scene, showing rescue workers searching through the debris.
There has been no public comment from the Russian military regarding the attack.
Zelenskyy initially reported a death toll of 18. Later, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service stated that 24 people had been killed, including two rescue workers and four police officers. In a video address delivered on Monday night, Zelenskyy confirmed that the death toll had risen to 26.
Zelenskyy noted that local residents in Komyshuvakha regularly collected humanitarian aid from that location every week—a fact, he argued, that the Russian forces would have been aware of.
He added that the attack sends a clear message that Russia has no interest in de-escalating the conflict.
Zelenskyy also recalled a previous instance where civilians were evacuated from the Russian-occupied southern city of Oleshky during a temporary ceasefire—an effort facilitated by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. He remarked that, at the time, there had been a glimmer of hope for peace; however, the attack on Komyshuvakha suggests the exact opposite.
Regional administration head Semykin described the attack as a "horrific catastrophe" for the village. He claims that people may still be trapped beneath the rubble.
Rescue teams are working at the site. However, he noted that rescue operations had to be halted several times due to Russian drone attacks in the area.
Following the attack, Tuesday has been declared a day of mourning throughout the Zaporizhzhia region. Russia launched a full-scale military offensive in Ukraine in February 2022. Source: BBC
BP/TI