Russia bombed an aid distribution centre and a neighbouring shelter in southern Ukraine on Monday, killing at least 26 people, Ukrainian officials said.
Zoom in: Russian forces first dropped bombs on a school in Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region that served as a shelter and a humanitarian distribution point, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. A second wave of air bombs then hit the shelter.
- "The Russians struck first just as people were arriving," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. "A vile terrorist strike."
By the numbers: Emergency services counted at least 26 dead, including two rescue crew members and four police officers, with five people in hospital. Regina Kharchenko, secretary of the Zaporizhzhia city council, said 27 people were missing.
- Rescue work stalled Monday evening as Russian drones launched more attacks on the bombed area, said Mykhailo Semikin, a military official in Zaporizhzhia.
The backstory: The strike follows the longest pause in fighting of the five-year war, a ceasefire last week in the occupied southern city of Oleshky brokered by US first lady Melania Trump that allowed an evacuation. The Kremlin said no similar missions were planned at the moment.
What they're saying: "Russians continue to demonstrate, time and again, their hatred of Ukraine and everything that exists here," Zelenskyy said, adding that Moscow had an opening after Oleshky to keep taking humanitarian steps.
What's next: US-led talks between Russia and Ukraine resume on November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Monday.
Why it matters: Zelenskyy said Russian forces knew residents gathered weekly at the site to collect aid packages. The attack lands days before the Abu Dhabi round, and Kyiv and its European allies worry Washington has tilted toward Moscow.
