Russian bombs hit humanitarian aid site and shelter in Ukraine, killing 18 - Zelenskyy
Russian forces struck a school used to distribute humanitarian aid in the southeastern Ukrainian settlement of Komyshuvakha on November 2, then hit a shelter where people had taken refuge, killing at least 18 people, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian aircraft carried out several strikes on the settlement in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. After the initial bombing of the school, Russian forces launched a second attack involving nine more aerial bombs, targeting a shelter where people were staying.
Five people were injured, and rescue workers were still searching for survivors at the site, the president said. Military personnel, emergency responders and special services were involved in the operation.
Zelenskyy said Russian forces could not have been unaware that residents remaining in Komyshuvakha received humanitarian aid at the school every week.
He linked the attack to the recent humanitarian operation in Russian-occupied Oleshky, saying the period following that mission had offered an opportunity for further steps toward de-escalation.
"With these killings, Russia is sending exactly the opposite signal — Russia is counting on more killings," Zelenskyy said.
He called for a strong international response and continued support for Ukraine.
The reported death toll and circumstances of the strikes have not been independently verified.