Zelenskyy: 18 killed in Russian strikes on aid center in Zaporizhzhia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced today, Monday, that 18 people were killed and five others injured in preliminary figures, following "terrifying" Russian airstrikes that targeted the town of "Komyshuvakha" in the Zaporizhzhia province in the southeast of the country.

Zelenskyy clarified in a statement on the platform "X" that the Russian strikes focused on a school used as a center for distributing humanitarian aid to local residents, noting that Russian forces carried out a "double attack" with nine aerial bombs after the initial strike, directly targeting the shelter where civilians had taken refuge.

The Ukrainian president confirmed that military forces and emergency teams are continuing rescue operations and searching for those trapped under the rubble amid significant difficulties, stressing that Moscow was aware in advance of the aid distribution times at the site.

Zelenskyy considered the shelling as new evidence of Russia's rejection of de-escalation and peace efforts, calling on the international community to impose a "strong and decisive response" to Moscow's actions and to intensify support to protect Ukrainian civilians.