Russia carried out several strikes on Monday against a school where humanitarian aid was distributed in Komyshuvakha, in the Zaporizhia region, in southeastern Ukraine. The death toll is at least 26. These bombings have destroyed “all hope of progress towards peace”, declared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 22:07Modified on: 03/11/2026 - 00:36

Ukraine indicated on Monday, November 2, that several Russian strikes against a school where humanitarian aid was distributed had left at least 26 dead, destroying the fragile hopes of "progress towards peace" after the end of a rare localized truce in the south.

In Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhia region (southeast), a series of Russian strikes left at least 26 dead, according to the interim governor. "Every Monday, humanitarian aid was distributed there. The Russians launched the first strike just as people were arriving - several aerial bombs. Then there was another strike - more aerial bombs, this time targeting the shelter (...), where people had taken refuge" described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily address.

Images released by Ukrainian emergency services show a building reduced to piles of smoking rubble, and rescuers at work on the site. These strikes destroyed "all hope of progress towards peace", declared Volodymyr Zelensky, seeing in them "further proof that Russia wants neither de-escalation nor real justice".

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These strikes come as Moscow has resumed fighting and bombings in the neighboring region of Kherson (south), after a rare local truce negotiated to evacuate the town of Olechky, occupied by the Russians.

Volodymyr Zelensky denounces “new murders”

After this humanitarian operation, "there was a moment when we could believe that new steps towards progress towards peace were possible. With this massacre, Russia is sending a completely opposite signal: it is banking on new murders", wrote Volodymyr Zelensky on social networks.

The truce in the Kherson region began Tuesday morning and ended Sunday evening without incidents. However, as of Monday morning, the attacks resumed, according to kyiv. “Around 8 a.m. this morning, the Russian occupiers attacked a car with a drone in the Korabelny district” in Kherson, leaving two people injured, the municipality announced on Telegram. A Russian drone also attacked a “medical establishment” in the center of Kherson without causing any casualties, the head of the local military administration, Yaroslav Chanko, also indicated on Facebook.

Briefly occupied by Russian forces at the start of the conflict, Kherson is regularly targeted by Russian army drones, whose positions are located on the other side of the Dnieper River.

The truce observed last week allowed the evacuation of some of the inhabitants of Olechky, a town under Russian control located about ten kilometers southeast of Kherson, which was facing serious shortages of food and medicine due to the fighting.

Read alsoIn Ukraine, residents of Olechky reunite with their loved ones after being evacuated

"During this period, the parties respected their commitments", welcomed Sunday the Ukrainian human rights mediator, Dmytro Loubinets, who said he was working with his Russian counterpart, Iana Lantratova, on new "humanitarian initiatives".

New talks in the Emirates

However, Russia refused a proposal from Ukraine to extend this localized ceasefire, a senior Ukrainian official revealed to AFP on condition of anonymity. Ukrainian officials interviewed by AFP in Kherson had also said they expected a resumption of Russian attacks as soon as the truce ended.

“It’s going to be hell, even worse than before,” said a local military source, who wished to remain anonymous. According to this officer, Russian forces also took advantage of the calm to amass new troops, transport ammunition and collect intelligence.

Asked Monday about these accusations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov assured that “this is a completely common practice in such situations” and that “the Ukrainian armed forces also took advantage of this period to carry out a similar regrouping”.

American envoy Steve Witkoff announced Monday the holding of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine under American mediation on November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi. “Discussions will focus on post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and next steps towards peace,” he detailed on the social network X.

With AFP

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