In the Ukrainian village of Komyshuvakha, a school had taken on a different purpose.
With classrooms no longer filled with children because of the proximity of the front line, the building had become a place where residents could find shelter and collect desperately needed humanitarian assistance.
Every Monday, people gathered there to receive food and other essential supplies.
On 2 November, however, the school became the target of a devastating series of Russian airstrikes, leaving dozens dead and an entire community searching for survivors.
The attack in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region began as residents were arriving for aid distribution.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian forces first dropped aerial bombs on the school before launching a second strike on the shelter where people had taken cover.
The consequences were catastrophic. At least 43 people had been confirmed dead by 5 November, while rescue workers continued searching through the rubble for survivors.
Two members of the rescue crew and four police officers were among those killed, according to Ukrainian emergency services.
A survivor was also found alive three days after the bombing.
For a village already living under the shadow of war, the loss extends far beyond the destruction of a building.
The school had become one of the few places where residents could access basic assistance amid the continuing conflict.
Its destruction has left vulnerable people facing an even more uncertain future.
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine condemned the attack, noting that the timing and location of the aid distribution had been publicly announced.
It warned that the use of powerful aerial glide bombs in populated areas poses devastating risks to civilians.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had targeted Ukrainian military units in the surrounding area, claiming that servicemen were among those killed.
Both countries deny deliberately targeting civilians.
The bombing came as preparations continued for another round of US-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Yet, for the families waiting for news beneath the ruins of a school, diplomatic negotiations offer little immediate comfort. A place built for learning had become a shelter from war.
Now, even that refuge is gone.
