Russian bombardment hits Ukrainian aid centre killing 24 people in Komyshuvakha

At least 24 people have been killed in southern Ukraine after Russian aerial bombs struck a village humanitarian aid centre, BBC News and ABC News Australia reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially stated that 18 people died, but BBC News reported that Ukraine's state emergencies service DSNS later updated the confirmed death toll to 24, including four police officers and two rescuers. [1][5]

The strike involved at least nine 3,000kg aerial bombs hitting the village of Komyshuvakha, where local officials noted that 27 people had been reported missing, according to BBC News. ABC News Australia reported that the humanitarian aid was being distributed to civilians at a local school when the strikes took place. [1][5]

President Zelenskyy posted on social media that Russian forces could not have been unaware that local residents gathered at the site weekly for aid, calling the strike proof that Russia does not want de-escalation, BBC News reported. Separately, The Guardian and Fox News reported that Ukrainian officials said the country's official air-raid alert app was likely hacked after false radiation and chemical hazard warnings spread in Kyiv. [1][2][4]

Kyiv has been targeted frequently by Russian Armed Forces throughout the conflict, and international observers have documented widespread civilian casualties from Russian weapons with wide-area effects. As FTMQ News reported earlier, previous Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital have repeatedly damaged infrastructure and caused civilian casualties. [11][12][14]