Ukraine Says Russian Strikes Kill 18 After Ceasefire Ends

Ukraine has accused Russia of killing at least 18 people in repeated strikes on a school where humanitarian aid was being distributed, hours after a local ceasefire in the south ended. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks had undermined fragile hopes of progress towards peace following a rare humanitarian pause in fighting.

The strikes targeted a village in the Zaporizhzhia region, adjacent to Kherson, according to Ukrainian authorities. Some of those killed had reportedly gathered at a local school to collect humanitarian assistance. Regional officials said a police officer and two State Emergency Service rescuers were among the victims.

The attacks came after a temporary ceasefire around the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky ended on Sunday. The truce, which began on Tuesday, had enabled a humanitarian mission and civilian evacuation without either side reporting violations during the pause.

Russian Strikes Hit School Where Civilians Were Receiving Aid

Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces resumed attacks in the southern region of Kherson after the local ceasefire expired. Hours later, repeated strikes hit a village in neighbouring Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 18 people.

Footage released by Ukraine’s emergency services showed the school building reduced to smouldering rubble, with rescue workers searching through the remains.

Zelensky said the site had been serving as a distribution point for humanitarian aid and accused Russian forces of carrying out repeated attacks on the building.

“People were receiving humanitarian aid there. After the first aerial bomb strike, there was a double-tap strike with nine more bombs, specifically targeting the shelter where people were taking cover,” Zelensky said on social media.

He described the strikes as “utterly horrific”. Regional governor Mykhailo Semikin said those killed included a police officer and two State Emergency Service rescuers.

Zelensky said the humanitarian ceasefire had briefly raised hopes that further cooperation could create an opportunity for progress towards peace. He argued that the latest attacks sent the opposite message.

“With these killings, Russia is sending an entirely opposite signal: Russia is counting on more killings. There must be a response to this a response from the world.”

Oleshky Ceasefire Enabled Humanitarian Evacuation

The local ceasefire was arranged to facilitate a humanitarian mission to Oleshky, a city under Russian occupation. It began on Tuesday and ended on Sunday, making it the longest pause in fighting between the two countries since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The mission involved Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova and her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Lubinets. The two officials oversaw the ceasefire, visited Oleshky, delivered humanitarian assistance and helped arrange the evacuation of civilians.

People were taken both to Ukrainian-controlled territory and to Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. The operation was among the most substantial instances of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv since the start of the full-scale war.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP on Sunday that Russia had rejected Kyiv’s proposal to extend the ceasefire. The Kremlin said no similar humanitarian missions were being planned at the moment.

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Using Ceasefire to Strengthen Positions

Ukraine’s military alleged that Russian forces used the pause in fighting to strengthen their positions rather than prepare for further cooperation. Moscow did not directly deny the accusation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the practice as normal during such situations and alleged that Ukrainian forces had also used previous pauses in fighting to regroup.

“This is a completely normal practice in such situations,” Peskov told reporters.

Peskov described the Oleshky humanitarian mission as successful and praised what he called good cooperation between the parties involved. He specifically acknowledged the role played by Lantratova.

US-Led Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Expected to Resume

US-led talks between Russia and Ukraine are expected to resume this month, with Abu Dhabi reportedly being considered as the venue. US President Donald Trump has pushed for a settlement to the war, but previous diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a breakthrough.

The negotiations have also been overshadowed by the conflict involving Iran. Kyiv and its European allies have expressed concern that Trump is increasingly aligning with Moscow’s position.

The latest strikes have added to uncertainty over the prospects for negotiations, particularly after the humanitarian ceasefire briefly demonstrated that limited cooperation between the two sides remained possible.

Russia and Ukraine Report Cyberattacks on Emergency Warning Apps

Both Russia and Ukraine reported cyberattacks targeting their emergency warning applications overnight after the ceasefire ended.

Ukraine said it suspected that its air raid alert system had been compromised after millions of people received baseless warnings about a radiation threat. The system provides important information about incoming Russian drones and missiles.

The reports came amid an intensification of Russian attacks this year, including the use of ballistic missiles and fast jet-powered drones that are difficult to intercept.

Moscow also said an application operated by its Ministry of Emergency Situations, which provides warnings about attacks and other emergencies, had been hacked. The application is not widely used across Russia, where alerts about Ukrainian drone attacks are more commonly delivered through text messages in border regions.

Peace Prospects Remain Uncertain After Deadly Attacks

The killing of at least 18 people in the latest strikes has raised fresh questions about the possibility of progress towards peace. The Oleshky ceasefire demonstrated that Russia and Ukraine could coordinate a limited humanitarian operation, but the renewed attacks in southern Ukraine have highlighted the fragility of such arrangements.

With US-led negotiations expected to resume and both sides continuing to exchange accusations over military activity, the path towards a broader settlement remains uncertain.