Russian strikes on Ukrainian aid centre kill at least 26, officials say

At least 26 people were killed in Russian strikes on a school being used as a humanitarian aid centre in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, according to Ukrainian emergency officials. Dozens more were reported injured. Al Jazeera and The Independent reported the figures.

The Independent reported that at least nine guided bombs, each weighing 3,000kg, struck the village of Komyshuvakha on Monday. The target was a local school used for humanitarian operations.

According to regional head Mykhailo Semikin, a second bomb then hit a shelter where survivors had taken cover. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, also said there were two separate strikes: an initial attack, followed by another on a building where residents were hiding.

Zelensky condemned the attack, calling it "utterly horrific." The Independent also quoted him as saying Russia "does not want any de-escalation."

Ukrainian emergency officials confirmed the toll had risen to 26 after rescuers recovered two more bodies from the shelter and the school site. Search teams are still looking for missing residents, though their work has repeatedly been disrupted by the threat of Russian reconnaissance and strike drones.

The attack comes ahead of planned talks. Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are expected to meet in Abu Dhabi later this week to discuss ending the war, which is nearly five years old. The Independent said the specifics of the talks were not yet confirmed.

The Independent also noted that a rare humanitarian ceasefire had recently allowed civilians to be evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky. Russia's response to the Komyshuvakha strikes was not given in the reports available.