Twenty-four killed as Russian bombs strike aid hub in Zaporizhzhia

Ukrainian emergency services confirmed that 24 people died Monday after Russian forces dropped guided bombs on an aid distribution center and an adjacent shelter in the village of Komyshuvakha.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that ten guided bombs struck the area, which included a school building repurposed for humanitarian aid. He described the attack as further proof that Russia seeks no de-escalation. The strikes occurred in the southern Zaporizhzhia region on the same day a limited ceasefire expired in Kherson.

The Kherson ceasefire had allowed for the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of aid to Russian-occupied territory. As the truce ended, regional officials reported that two residents, a 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man, were hospitalized with blast injuries. Zelenskyy argued that the timing of the Komyshuvakha attacks sent a signal that Russia prefers continued killing over a path to peace.

Simultaneously, cyberattacks disrupted official emergency alert systems in both Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian residents received false alerts in English, Russian, and Ukrainian warning of imminent nuclear threats and chemical attacks. One message claimed a Russian ballistic missile was incoming. Authorities noted that the English alerts contained spelling and grammatical errors.

A Russian security service linked to the Telegram channel attributed to the hacker group Hitcore claimed responsibility for the Ukrainian breach. The group's identities and motivations remained unverified by independent observers. Ukraine's state-run Center for Countering Disinformation advised the public to rely on alternative social media channels while the app was suspended.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said the cyberattack did not affect security or defense operations. In Russia, the Emergency Situations Ministry reported that a false alert was sent to 33 regions at 2:45 a.m. Moscow time. The ministry stated that the vulnerability was identified and that standard alert systems via SMS and sirens remained functional.

Ukrainian drone strikes continued in other sectors. Twelve people were injured in Kharkiv region, and five were injured in Odesa. Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed it shot down 212 Ukrainian drones overnight. Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev of Samara region reported that local air defenses were repelling an aerial attack near a major oil transport hub.