Berlin, November 05 (QNA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that the death toll from a Russian strike on an aid distribution center in southeastern Ukraine had risen to 40, with dozens of people still missing.

During a visit to Berlin, Zelenskyy said more than 30 people could still be trapped under the rubble, describing the attack as horrific and one of the largest mass killings committed by Russia since the beginning of the war.

He said Russian forces initially struck a site where residents had gathered to receive humanitarian aid before carrying out a second wave of attacks, with nine more aerial bombs hitting an underground shelter where people had taken refuge.

Zelenskyy said the attack undermined hopes for progress toward peace and demonstrated that Russia was not seeking de-escalation or a genuine path to peace.

The Ukrainian president had said Tuesday that 33 people were killed in the attack on the village of Komyshuvakha in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

The attack came amid continued fighting despite diplomatic efforts to secure a comprehensive settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war. (QNA)