Russian strikes kill 26 at Ukrainian school aid center after ceasefire ends
Russian forces struck a school in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region Monday, killing at least 26 people including civilians gathering for weekly humanitarian aid, two rescue workers, and four police officers. The attacks came hours after a ceasefire in southern Ukraine expired, ending the longest truce since Russia's 2022 invasion.
The ceasefire, reportedly brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump for a humanitarian operation in Russian-occupied Oleshky, lasted from Tuesday through Sunday with no reported violations. Hours after it lapsed, Russian forces launched repeated aerial bomb strikes on the village school — first as residents arrived for supplies, then targeting the shelter, according to President Zelensky.
Acting regional governor Mykhailo Semikin confirmed the death toll. Ukraine's emergency services identified the deceased rescue workers as Denys Konovalenko and Oleksy Sushchevsky, both 44. Videos show the school reduced to smouldering rubble with rescue workers searching wreckage.
Zelensky said the Oleshky truce had offered a chance to demonstrate progress toward peace, but the latest killings signal Russia is pursuing further violence. He insisted the attacks must attract a response. Strikes also resumed in neighbouring Kherson region after the truce ended.