Deadly Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia school kills dozens

At least 33 people have died, and 50 remain trapped under the debris, Zelenskyy announced Tuesday in Berlin. Earlier reports from Regina Kharchenko, secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, indicated 27 people were missing.

The school, situated near the frontline of the ongoing 4.5-year conflict, had been repurposed as a shelter. Zelenskyy stated that while no longer used for classes, the school was a regular site for delivering aid to local residents every Monday.

“The Russians struck first just as people were arriving — a few aerial bombs,” Zelenskyy said. “Then there was a second strike — more air bombs, this time on the shelter. A vile terrorist strike.”

Emergency services confirmed that two rescue crew members and four police officers were among the casualties resulting from the double-attack. Two rescue workers were hospitalized for treatment.

Both Russia and Ukraine maintain that they do not intentionally target civilians during the conflict.

The Russian Defence Ministry asserted that the strikes targeted Ukrainian military units in the vicinity of Komyshuvakha and two other settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region. They claimed up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, along with 15 vehicles and an electronic warfare station.

In August, United Nations monitors reported a significant increase in civilian casualties compared to the previous year, noting that July saw more civilian deaths and injuries than any month since March 2022.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also condemned the attack, calling it “another barbaric and cynical Russian attack” and criticizing Russia’s “disregard for human life.” He used the incident to advocate for continued isolation of Russia from international sporting events.

Images circulating online depict widespread devastation and smoldering rubble.

The attack occurred shortly after a six-day local ceasefire concluded, intended to facilitate aid delivery to Oleshky in the Kherson region and enable resident evacuations. US-mediated peace talks are scheduled for Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.