Russian strikes kill at least 26 at Ukraine aid center after ceasefire ends

Russian forces launched multiple airstrikes on a school in the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine that was being used as a humanitarian aid distribution center, killing at least 26 people, according to reports from France 24, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and DW English.

The attacks occurred shortly after the end of a rare and longest ceasefire in the region, which had been brokered to facilitate a mission to the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. The ceasefire expired without reported violations, but Russian strikes resumed hours later, targeting the village of Komyshuvakha and neighboring areas.

Among the dead were civilians collecting aid, emergency workers, and police officers. Ukrainian officials confirmed that two rescue workers and four police officers were killed in the strikes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as occurring just as people arrived to receive aid, followed by a second strike targeting a shelter where residents were hiding.

The attack has been characterized by Ukrainian leaders as a sign that Russia does not intend to de-escalate the conflict, which has been ongoing since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Emergency services reported that several injured individuals, including rescue workers, were being treated in hospitals.

The strikes extinguished hopes for progress toward peace following the ceasefire, as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.