Russian Bombing of School Serving as Aid Centre Kills 33 in Ukraine

Kathmandu : At least 33 people have been killed and 50 others reported missing after Russia bombed a school building in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. The attack reportedly involved at least nine powerful bombs.

The building, located in the town of Komyshuvakha, had been repurposed as a local administrative office and humanitarian aid distribution centre after regular school activities were suspended due to the war. At the time of the attack, civilians had gathered there to receive relief supplies and were taking shelter inside the building.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the incident as one of the deadliest attacks of the Russia-Ukraine war. According to him, the building also housed an underground shelter constructed with financial support from the European Union. However, the powerful strikes caused the concrete structure to collapse and triggered a fire.

Rescue personnel who arrived at the scene following the initial attack were also caught in a subsequent strike. Local officials said two rescue workers and four Ukrainian police officers were killed while attempting to evacuate civilians trapped inside the building.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that following the attack on the school building, Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.