Ukraine says Russian bombs killed 18 at village humanitarian aid centre

At least 18 people waiting for humanitarian assistance were killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian village of Komyshuvakha on Monday, November 2, Ukrainian officials said. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the bombing of the village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region as "utterly horrific".

Regional head Mykhailo Semikin said at least nine aerial bombs, each weighing 3,000kg, struck the village. In addition to those killed, five people were injured and 27 remained missing. Rescue teams were working at the scene, where Semikin confirmed that people were still trapped beneath the rubble.

According to Zelensky, the first strike hit a local school that was being used for humanitarian purposes. He said a second attack then struck the place where people had taken shelter. The president shared a video showing a large crater left by Monday's bombing and rescuers searching through the debris.

In a social media post, Zelensky said residents who had remained in Komyshuvakha collected humanitarian aid at the site every week. He argued that Russian forces could not have been unaware of those regular distributions, pointing to the use of the location to provide assistance to local people.

Zelensky portrayed the bombing as evidence that Russia was unwilling to reduce hostilities. "This is yet another proof that Russia does not want any de-escalation," he wrote. His comments linked the deaths at the aid site to his broader assessment of Russia's intentions in the war.

The Ukrainian leader contrasted the attack with a recent successful operation in which Russia and Ukraine had worked together to evacuate civilians from Oleshky, a southern city under Russian occupation. He said that cooperation had created a moment when subsequent actions could have demonstrated that peace was possible.

Zelensky said the killings in Komyshuvakha conveyed the opposite message. In his account, the attack undermined the possibility suggested by the joint civilian evacuation, and he accused Russia of counting on further killings. His remarks came as regional authorities reported that the search through the wreckage was continuing.

The Russian military had not publicly commented on the attack. The bombing took place during the war that followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's launch of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.