Ukraine-Russia war latest: 26 killed in ‘horrific’ Russian attack on Ukrainian aid centre

Zelensky warns Russia is banking on US midterms to launch major attack on UkraineAt least 26 people have been killed and dozens injured after Russian forces unleashed a barrage of heavy aerial bombs on an aid distribution centre in southern Ukraine, in a strike president Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned as “utterly horrific.”At least nine 3,000kg guided bombs struck the village of Komyshuvakha on Monday, targeting a local school used for humanitarian operations before a second bomb hit a shelter where survivors were taking cover, regional head Mykhailo Semikin said.The massacre casts a dark shadow over fragile diplomatic momentum ahead of proposed trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in Abu Dhabi later this week. Zelensky has warned the strike proves Moscow “does not want any de-escalation,” coming just days after a rare humanitarian ceasefire had facilitated civilian evacuations from Russian-occupied Oleshky.The deadly bombardment in the south follows a huge technological blow for the Kremlin at home, after Ukrainian military intelligence reported on Monday that a $150m Su-57 stealth fighter “exploded” during engine startup at the Akhtubinsk military airbase.ICYMI: Hacked alert apps blast fake nuclear and chemical warnings across Ukraine and RussiaResidents in both Ukraine and Russia have received fake emergency warnings after government-run mobile alert applications in both countries were breached by hackers.In Ukraine, the targeted mobile app pushed rogue notifications in Ukrainian, Russian, and broken English falsely warning of imminent radiation spikes, chemical threats, and street disturbances in Kyiv. One Russian-language message warned: "Hi! There will be a nuclear threat across Ukraine. Do not worry, the Oreshnik is incoming."Ukrainian Air Force Command spokesman Yurii Ihnat said the cyberattack had no impact on defence operations, and authorities restored the app after a temporary suspension. Hours later, at approximately 2:45 a.m. Moscow time, hackers breached Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry app, triggering false alerts across 33 regions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has since called on all state bodies to bolster their cybersecurity.Suha Kidwai3 November 2026 03:00Death toll rises to 26 in aid centre strike as emergency teams uncover more bodiesThe death toll from the Russian aerial bombardment on an aid distribution point in Komyshuvakha has risen to 26, Ukrainian emergency officials confirmed as search teams continue to clear heavy debris.Rescuers recovered two additional bodies from the wreckage of the shelter and school site in the Zaporizhzhia region, following an attack carried out with heavy guided aerial bombs. Emergency crews, police, and military personnel are still searching the site for remaining missing residents, with operations repeatedly disrupted by incoming Russian reconnaissance and strike drone threats. Suha Kidwai3 November 2026 02:00The stockpile essentials you haven’t thought of yet – but will really need in an emergencyAs bottled water and beans fly off supermarket shelves, are we sacrificing taste for tins? After a week surviving on a stockpile without cooking or refrigeration, Hannah Twiggs reveals the overlooked essentials that could make all the differenceJames Reynolds3 November 2026 01:00Exclusive: Russia ramps up disinformation war on UK with propaganda claiming Britain is ‘ungovernable and defenceless’Russia’s disinformation war on the UK has reached new highs as Kremlin-backed media seek to sow chaos amongst Britons and ramp up attacks on their “main adversary”, experts warn.In the past six months, state-affiliated media have pushed hundreds of thousands of stories on social media portraying Britain as ungovernable, defenceless, and a legitimate Russian target, The Independent can reveal.Analysis by risk intelligence firm Osavul, which tracks global hybrid threats and supplies technology to Nato, shows such media output rose by around 15 per cent in September, when it produced around 40,365 stories about the UK, while similar levels of disinformation pushed in October.You can read more below:James Reynolds3 November 2026 00:00Report: Moscow’s most advanced stealth jet blows up miles from combatThe fifth-generation Su-57 multipurpose fighter blew up during engine startup at Akhtubinsk military airbase on October 29, the Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported.It was unclear what caused the incident, but HUR said the engines can undergo “catastrophic destruction” when filled with poor quality fuel.The costly jet has been used sparingly in Ukraine, launching long-range stand-off missiles from Russian-controlled airspace. Analysts estimate Russia currently uses fewer than 30 Su-57s, having received only around 20 between 2020 and 2025, according to RUSI.Russia has suffered a string of losses in recent weeks, with Ukraine last month claiming to have damaged six Su-34M medium bombers in strikes on the Borisoglebsk airfield in Voronezh region.Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are expected to sit down for talks aimed at ending the nearly five year war later this week, although specifics are yet to be confirmed.James Reynolds2 November 2026 23:00Preview: Why the US midterm elections matter to the rest of the worldMillions of Americans will go to the polls on November 3 in what will be seen as a verdict on Trump’s first two years back in office.Gergana Krasteva reports on the impact the pivotal election could have beyond the United States:James Reynolds2 November 2026 22:00Watch: A drubbing in the midterms will make Trump even more dangerous to the entire world.mp4A drubbing in the midterms will make Trump even more dangerous to the entire world.mp4James Reynolds2 November 2026 21:00At least 24 killed after 'horrific' Russian attack hits Ukrainian aid centre At least 24 people, including two emergency rescue workers and four police officers, have been killed after Russian forces struck a humanitarian aid distribution hub in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.Regional administration head Mykhailo Semikin reported that at least nine 3,000kg aerial bombs struck the village of Komyshuvakha.President Volodymyr Zelensky described the bombardment as “utterly horrific,” stating that Russian jets launched a secondary strike targeting a shelter where civilians and responders had taken cover following an initial hit on a local school.“The Russians could not have been unaware that the local residents who remained in Komyshuvakha received humanitarian aid there every week,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the strike shows Moscow rejects de-escalation immediately following the conclusion of the Oleshky evacuation truce.Suha Kidwai2 November 2026 20:15Putin’s war on Ukraine blamed for 120,000 dead dolphins in the Black SeaExplosions, missile launches, and military sonar systems used during the Ukraine war are confusing dolphins in the Black Sea and leaving them unable to hunt, experts have said.Trawlers are finding the animals suffocated and entangled in their nets and cutting off their fins to release them, leaving them to wash ashore with the net marks still visible.Ivan Rusev, head researcher at the Tuzly Lagoons national park in southern Ukraine, told Al Jazeera more than 120,000 dolphins have died this way since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Read the full story:James Reynolds2 November 2026 20:00Civilians in Ukraine's Kherson prepare for the return of war as localized ceasefire endsCivilians in Ukraine’s southeastern Kherson region prepared Sunday for the end of a localized ceasefire that has marked the most significant truce between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 4½ years ago.The White House said U.S. first lady Melania Trump helped to broker the limited truce, which began early Tuesday and is expected to end Sunday evening. The pause in hostilities allowed besieged residents in the front-line city of Oleshky to be evacuated in a rare joint operation that ended Saturday.An estimated 2,000 civilians were in Oleshky when the temporary truce took hold. They were offered the choice of evacuating to territory controlled by Ukraine or Russia, or remaining in the city with replenished food and medical supplies. For the safety of those who have stayed, exact numbers were not released after the evacuation.James Reynolds2 November 2026 19:00