At least 33 people have been confirmed dead, while another 50 remain unaccounted for, following a devastating Russian bombing of a building serving as a civilian shelter and humanitarian aid distribution centre in southeastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the incident as one of the deadliest attacks of the ongoing war, alleging that Russian forces dropped at least nine bombs on the facility in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region.
According to regional governor Mykhailo Semikin, civilians had taken refuge in the building, which also served as an administrative centre and humanitarian assistance hub.
The facility reportedly had a reinforced basement constructed last year with European Union funding to provide protection against aerial attacks and enable educational activities to continue during the war.
However, the force of the bombardment caused the concrete structure to collapse, triggering a fire and trapping people beneath the rubble.
Although originally designed as a school shelter, the facility was no longer operating as a school due to the proximity of the fighting. Local authorities had instead repurposed it for administrative activities and humanitarian aid distribution.
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine expressed serious concern over the attack, noting that civilians had gathered at the location to receive humanitarian assistance at the time of the bombing.
Danielle Bell, head of the mission, said the timing and location of the humanitarian distribution had been widely publicised, raising serious questions about whether Russian forces were aware of the civilian presence before launching the attack.
She warned that either the Russian military knew about the humanitarian operation or failed to take basic precautions to establish what was happening in the area before carrying out the strike.
The mission said the circumstances raised serious concerns about possible violations of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, Zelensky said the bombing was followed by another large-scale Russian assault involving hundreds of drones and dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
He criticised the continued attacks despite repeated calls by United States President Donald Trump for an energy ceasefire.
The Ukrainian leader also suggested that the timing of the attacks carried a political message to Washington, insisting that Russia’s continued bombardment of civilian areas and critical infrastructure must not go unnoticed.
The latest attack adds to the mounting civilian toll of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as international concerns grow over the protection of civilians and humanitarian facilities amid the continuing conflict.
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