Russian bombing kills 31 people at Ukraine aid centre, Kyiv says

Updated 5 hours ago.

Key points

• Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
• Since the discussions were suspended in February, Moscow has stepped up attacks as Kyiv virtually ran out of Western-supplied interceptors to defend against missiles.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack "utterly horrific" and remarked there were still residents "under the rubble".
• According to He earlier, "the Russians could not have been unaware that the local residents who remained in Komyshuvakha received humanitarian aid there every week" on Monday.
• "With such killings, Russia is sending the exact opposite signal – Russia is counting on further killings, " Zelensky remarked.

At least 31 individuals have been killed after Russian bombs hit an aid distribution centre in Zaporizhia, the Ukrainian regional head has stated, describing it as one of the deadliest attacks there since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Mykhailo Semikin remarked at least nine 3, 000kg aerial bombs hit the village of Komyshuvakha in southern Ukraine on Monday and the aid centre collapsed from a "direct hit".

"They had come for help – not to a military facility, not to a frontline position, but to a place where they were supposed to receive support, " he wrote on Telegram.

Zelensky posted a video showing a massive crater left after Monday's attack and rescuers searching for survivors.

Nevertheless, office-holders say teams have at times been forced to halt their search since of Russian drone attacks in the area.

Zelensky remarked after the first strike on the local school "used for humanitarian needs", there was a second attack on the place where residents were sheltering.

According to He earlier, "the Russians could not have been unaware that the local residents who remained in Komyshuvakha received humanitarian aid there every week" on Monday. The Russian military has not publicly commented. Three days of mourning have been declared in the region.

Notably, the death toll has continued to rise on Tuesday. When 29 individuals were confirmed to have died, Semikin stated another 10 had been injured and 48 were documented missing, earlier.

Among the dead are two rescuers and four police officers, according to Ukraine's state emergencies service DSNS.

Zelensky remarked the attack was "yet another proof that Russia does not want any de-escalation".

He remarked that after a recent successful joint Russian-Ukrainian operation to evacuate civilians from the Russia-occupied southern city of Oleshky during a temporary ceasefire brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, "there was a moment when the next steps could show that peace is possible".

Teams from Ukraine, Russia and the US are due to resume peace discussions in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, next week, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff stated on X.

No major breakthrough is projected at the negotiations. Witkoff remarked the discussions would focus on "post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace".

Witkoff remarked US negotiators would additionally meet European and Nato authorities this week in Brussels.

Taken together, the developments around russian bombing kills 31 people at Ukraine aid centre, Kyiv says point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.