Dozens of people were killed when Russia dropped at least nine bombs on a school building in southeastern Ukraine where they had taken shelter.
At least 31 people have been confirmed dead and another 48 are still unaccounted for after the attack on the building in Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region, which was being used as a shelter and a humanitarian aid distribution centre, local governor Mykhailo Semikin said.
They were in a newly-built, EU-funded reinforced basement designed to withstand most strikes, Semikin said, but the massive force of the bombs caused the concrete structure to collapse and a fire broke out.
The shelter was built last year in an effort to keep classes going during wartime, but many civilians have since left as the fighting got closer to the village, and it is not currently used as a school. Instead, local authorities are using it as an administrative centre and humanitarian hub.
He said the shelter was attacked on Monday during the time when humanitarian aid was being distributed.
He said the attack came just before Russia launched another massive barrage of hundreds of drones and dozens of powerful cruise and ballistic missiles targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure – despite US President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for energy ceasefire.
“It is very telling that all of this is happening on the day of the US congressional elections. The Russians believe that America will not notice this signal from them. But such terror must be noticed and stopped,” Zelensky said on Tuesday morning.
“Ukraine must be helped to defend its skies, otherwise Russia will never stop its missile strikes. It is essential to help build peace honestly and reliably, and America can do that,” Zelensky added. (CNN)