Tuesday 03 / November / 2026
Kiev: At least 26 people were killed and five more injured on Monday when the Russian air force launched repeated strikes on a school which was functioning as an aid distribution center in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia.
The multiple attacks, in which Russian planes reportedly launched more than 10 glide bombs, took place in the village of Komyshuvakha, about 35 kilometers (31 miles) east of the city of Zaporizhzhia and a dozen kilometers away from the frontline.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attacks as "utterly horrific" and accused Russia of being well aware of the humanitarian purpose of the site.
"After the first aerial bomb strike, there was a double-tap strike with nine more bombs, specifically targeting the shelter where people were taking cover," he wrote on social media.
"The Russians could not have been unaware that every week, local residents who had remained in Komyshuvakha received humanitarian aid at that very location."
Ukrainian emergency services said two members of a rescue crew were among the dead after falling victim to the so-called "double-tap" strike in which a location is targeted again with the aim of hitting first responders.
The attacks came less than 24 hours after a localized six-day humanitarian ceasefire in and around the town of Oleshky in the neighboring region of Kherson had expired.
Zelenskyy said the temporary truce could potentially have led to further steps toward a possible deal to end the ongoing Russian invasion, but said after Monday's strikes: "This is yet further proof that Russia does not want any kind of de-escalation or any real justice... With these killings, Russia has sent a completely opposite signal; Russia is counting on further killings."
The Zaporizhzhia region has been targeted repeatedly for months by heavy Russian airstrikes.
Russian, Ukrainian representatives to meet in Abu Dhabi — Witkoff
A trilateral meeting between officials from the US, Russia and Ukraine will take place in Abu Dhabi next week, US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said.
According to Witkoff, the US will mediate "working-level" negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on November 10 and 11, in a bid of "advancing President Trump's mission to end the war."
"Discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts, and next steps toward peace," Witkoff posted on his X account, adding that meetings will also take place with representatives from NATO, Germany, the UK and the EU.
A force of about 2,800 troops from 10 European countries will hold the first exercise of a new multinational force in support of Ukraine, the UK and France said.
The force is only to be deployed in the case of a ceasefire that would end the war between Kyiv and Moscow, with its aim being supporting Ukraine's army in securing the country.
"The exercise will allow the testing of the speed and efficiency at which several nations can deploy forces on land, sea and air to support Ukraine once hostilities have finished," a joint statement by the two countries reads.
With Russia not showing any intention of agreeing peace, the move could further antagonize Moscow.
The exercise will take place between November 9 and 22 in Poland, not far from the country's Ukraine border.
