Russia kills 24 in southern Ukraine as ceasefire lapses
Guided bombs struck an aid center and shelter in Zaporizhzhia region on Monday, while drone attacks injured 17 elsewhere in the country.
By Dominic Foster ·
Russian strikes killed 24 people in southern Ukraine on Monday, local authorities reported.
Emergency services confirmed the deaths in the village of Komyshuvakha, located in the Zaporizhzhia region. The attacks targeted a school building used for humanitarian aid distribution and a neighboring shelter. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that 10 guided bombs hit the area.
Zelenskyy posted on X that the strikes proved Russia did not want de-escalation. He added that the killings sent a signal that Russia was counting on more violence. The explosions occurred as a limited ceasefire expired in the separate Kherson region.
That ceasefire had allowed aid and evacuation missions into Russian-occupied areas. It began on Oct. 27 and marked the most significant truce since the full-scale invasion started nearly five years ago. Ukrainian military officials said Russian forces used the pause to strengthen drone defenses and restock ammunition.
Rescue efforts in Komyshuvakha faced difficulties late Monday. Russian drones launched additional attacks on the bombed area, according to Mykhailo Semikin, a military official in Zaporizhzhia. Local officials said about 20 people were missing as night fell. Emergency responders used flashlights to search the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian drone strikes injured at least 17 people. In the eastern Kharkiv region, 12 people were hurt and a refrigeration facility, greenhouses, and homes were damaged. Five people were injured in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, where a warehouse was targeted.
Earlier in the day, residents of Ukraine and Russia received false emergency alerts from hacked government mobile apps. The Ukrainian alerts, sent late Sunday, warned of a nuclear threat, high radiation, and chemical attacks. The messages were written in English, Russian, and Ukrainian. English versions contained spelling and grammar errors.
One alert in Russian referenced the Oreshnik ballistic missile, stating it was incoming. A Telegram channel linked to Russian security services said a group called Hitcore claimed responsibility for the Ukrainian breach. Authorities did not independently verify the claim. Ukraine's air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said the cyberattack did not impact security operations.
In Russia, the Emergency Situations Ministry said hackers sent a false alert at approximately 2:45 a.m. Moscow time on Monday. The alert reached 33 of the country's 89 regions. The ministry noted that SMS messages, media broadcasts, and sirens continued to work normally. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged government bodies to improve cybersecurity for digital resources.
Russian authorities also reported an aerial attack on the Samara region. Gov. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said local air defenses were repelling the strike. Independent media outlets reported that Ukrainian drones targeted a major oil transport hub in the area. Russia's Ministry of Defense said it shot down 212 Ukrainian drones overnight.
