Russian strikes kill 24 in Zaporizhzhia aid center

Russian military strikes killed 24 people at an aid distribution center and a neighboring shelter in the village of Komyshuvakha, Ukraine, on Monday. The attacks occurred in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and happened while a limited ceasefire in the Kherson region expired.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that 10 guided bombs targeted an area that included a school building used for humanitarian aid distribution. He described the incident as evidence that Russia sought no de-escalation of the conflict. Zelenskyy added that the killings signaled Russia was counting on further violence rather than progress toward peace.

Ukrainian authorities reported that residents in both Ukraine and Russia received false emergency alerts from government mobile applications that were hacked. In Ukraine, the alerts warned of imminent nuclear threats, high radiation levels, and chemical dangers. The messages were written in English, Russian, and Ukrainian, with the English versions containing spelling and grammatical errors. One alert in Russian referenced the Oreshnik ballistic missile.

A Russian Telegram channel linked to security services claimed a hacking group called Hitcore was responsible for the breach. Ukrainian officials said the mobile app was restored after being temporarily suspended, and Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat stated the cyberattack did not impact security operations. In Russia, the Emergency Situations Ministry said hackers sent a false alert at 2:45 a.m. Moscow time across 33 regions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said all state agencies face constant cyber threats, including those using artificial intelligence.

As the Kherson ceasefire ended, the regional administration reported that a 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man were hospitalized with blast injuries in the city of Kherson. The pause in fighting began on Oct. 27 and was designed to allow humanitarian aid and evacuations in the occupied city of Oleshky. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman and civilian negotiator, said the localized ceasefire could serve as a model for future efforts and add momentum to three-way negotiations with U.S. and Russian officials expected this month.

Ukraine’s general staff said Russian forces used the ceasefire period to bolster drone defenses and replenish ammunition. Elsewhere, drone strikes injured 12 people in the Kharkiv region and damaged a refrigeration facility, greenhouses, and residential buildings. Five people were injured in Odesa, where a warehouse and homes were hit. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed it shot down 212 Ukrainian drones overnight. Local officials in the Samara region said air defenses repelled an aerial attack, and independent Russian media reported that Ukrainian drones targeted a major oil transport hub there.

The strikes in Komyshuvakha and the cyber incidents occurred on the same day, creating a layered front of digital and physical disruption. Ukrainian emergency channels urged the public to monitor social media updates while the app was under repair. Russian authorities confirmed that standard alert systems, including SMS and sirens, remained functional. The next scheduled step in the diplomatic process involves the three-way talks anticipated later this month.