Death toll after attack on aid centre in Ukraine rises to 31
The United Nations says civilians and aid workers were among those hit in an attack in the Zaporizhzhia region.
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At least 31 people were killed in an attack on a school where residents were collecting humanitarian aid in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities. The United Nations is investigating the precise scale of the civilian deaths and says the attack may have violated international humanitarian law.
The attack took place on Monday in Komyshuvakha, a town close to the front line. According to the UN, several glide bombs were dropped on a school building where aid was being distributed that morning. Local authorities reported that at least 31 civilians were killed and five people injured.
An earlier UN statement referred to 29 civilian casualties, as well as two rescue workers and four police officers who were killed. The figures differ. The UN human rights monitoring mission says the exact number of casualties is still being verified.
According to the UN, the aid distribution had been announced in advance through a local social media channel. The organisation is investigating whether Russian forces knew that civilians had gathered there, or failed to take sufficient precautions to establish this. The UN is not making a definitive legal finding of guilt.
The UN says that a nearby shelter was also hit. Rescue workers could not carry out their work without risk because, according to the statement, further attacks took place after the initial strike. According to the UN, nearly 50 people were initially still missing.
According to the UN, the attack fits a broader pattern of civilian casualties caused by glide bombs. In 2026, those weapons had killed at least 478 civilians and injured 2,667 in Ukraine before this attack. The figure comes from the UN monitoring mission and concerns verified casualties up to the time of the attack; it says nothing about responsibility for each individual incident.
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The text keeps the different casualty figures and the verification status in the UN sources separate. The characterisation of a possible violation is presented as the UN’s assessment, not as a definitive legal judgement.
- confirmed According to local authorities, at least 31 civilians were killed in the attack. — The UN human rights monitoring mission cites the local authorities. source
- confirmed The attack hit a location where humanitarian aid was being distributed. — This is stated in both UN statements. source
- confirmed The UN is investigating whether the attack violated international humanitarian law. — The UN human rights monitoring mission describes the attack as possibly contravening fundamental principles and is verifying the consequences. source
Editor's note
The casualty figures changed during the rescue operation. The UN is working on verification; the circumstances and responsibility have not been fully established independently.Sources
- Ukraine: Mass Casualty Attack in Zaporizhzhia Region — United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission
- A Flagrant Attack on 2 November Killed Civilians and First Responders — United Nations in Ukraine
- Ukraine's rescuers deal with grim aftermath of aid shelter bombings — AP
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „oekraïne zaporizja”
- RTL Nieuws — „oekraïne zaporizja”
- NOS — „oekraïne zaporizja”