Death toll rises to 50 in Russian attack on aid distribution ‌point in Ukraine

The death toll in Monday's Russian strike on a southern Ukrainian village rose to 50 people, Ukrainian authorities said Friday, making the attack one of the deadliest in more than four-and-a-half years of war. 

In a post on the ‌Telegram messaging app, Mykhailo Semikin said ​search and rescue work at the site in the village ​of Komyshuvakha had entered ​its fifth day.

Kyiv says Russia hit a former school building in the frontline village of Komyshuvakha on Monday as civilians gathered for weekly humanitarian aid distributions.

"The death toll from the Russian airstrike on the settlement of Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, on November 2 has risen to 50," Ukraine's state emergency services said. 

Read more Russian strikes kill at least 26 in Ukraine after war's longest ceasefire ends

It said eight more bodies were pulled out from under the rubble during search operations, which are still ongoing, four days after the attacks. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Moscow hit an underground shelter with people inside. 

The UN's human rights mission in Ukraine slammed the attack this week, saying the strike likely violated international law. 

The strike came after the longest ceasefire between the two enemies ended in the southern Kherson region. 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. 

Ukraine-Russia talks under US mediation are due to restart in Abu Dhabi next week. 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)