Ukraine says Russian strikes dash peace progress hopes after 26 killed

Kyiv, Ukraine - A series of relentless Russian strikes on a school in the Ukrainian city of Kherson on Monday killed at least 26 people, including two rescue workers and four police officers, and dashed hopes for peace after a local ceasefire ended without violations. The strikes, coming just as people arrived for humanitarian aid distribution, shattered the building and left rescuers working amidst the smoldering ruins.

The ceasefire, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump to allow a mission to the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, had only started on Tuesday and ended on Sunday, with both sides claiming no breaches occurred. However, hours after the truce, Russia intensified its attacks, targeting a village near Kherson, killing the latest victims who had come to collect aid at the school.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the latest killings in his daily address, stating that Russia was sending a message that more deaths were inevitable. He urged a response to this escalation. Meanwhile, Russia fortified its positions during the brief ceasefire, allegedly using the time to prepare for renewed fighting.

The ceasefire had provided a rare pause in the five-year conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions. The Russian military denied the accusations of fortifying its positions, claiming it was a normal practice in such situations. The Kremlin also praised the successful humanitarian mission, highlighting the cooperation between Russia and Ukraine.

US-led talks between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to resume this month, as Kyiv and its European allies worry that US President Donald Trump has increasingly sided with Moscow. Both sides reported cyberattacks on their emergency warning apps shortly after the truce ended, with Ukraine suspecting its air raid alert system had been compromised and Russia claiming its emergency situations ministry app had been hacked.