Russian Bombing of School in Zaporizhzhia Region Kills 24, Ukraine Says

Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Russian forces bombed a school in the village of Komyshuvakha in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Monday, and Ukraine’s emergency services said 24 people died. Two members of a rescue crew were among the victims.

Details of the strike

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram that Russian aircraft first dropped bombs on the school, which served as a site for handing out humanitarian assistance. He said a second strike followed, with nine more bombs hitting the shelter where people had gathered.

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Zelenskiy also said the Russian side must have known that the residents still living in Komyshuvakha received aid at that location every week. He described the attack as further evidence that Russia does not want “any kind of de-escalation, any real justice.”

Missing and rescue efforts

Regina Kharchenko, secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, said 27 people were missing after the attack. Police in the Zaporizhzhia region said officers and rescue teams were working to reach residents believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.

Photographs shared online showed smouldering debris scattered across the area.

Location and context

Komyshuvakha lies southeast of Zaporizhzhia, the main city of the region, which shares its name.

The strike came one day after a six-day local ceasefire expired. US first lady Melania Trump had brokered the truce to allow aid into the besieged city of Oleshky, to the southwest in the Kherson region, and to evacuate residents who wanted to leave.