Russian strikes hit a school used as a humanitarian aid center in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing at least 33 people, including two rescue workers and four police officers.
Russian strikes hit a school repurposed as a humanitarian aid distribution center in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing at least 33 people on November 2, 2026, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Governor Mykhailo Semikin said 48 others remain missing.
Two rescue workers and four police officers were among those killed. Five others, including two rescue workers, were injured, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS). The DSNS identified the two rescue workers killed as Denys Konovalenko and Oleksii Sushchevskyi, both 44.
Zelensky said Russian forces launched several aerial bomb attacks on the settlement throughout the morning, initially striking a school where humanitarian aid was regularly distributed to local residents. Following the initial strike, Russian forces dropped another nine aerial bombs on a shelter where people were taking refuge.
The attack destroyed a gymnasium, an outbuilding, and a fire truck, while also damaging the school building. Search and rescue operations were still underway at the site on the morning of November 3, the governor added.
"The scale of the tragedy is horrific. Behind every number lies a human life, a family that has lost its loved ones or is still waiting for news of their loved ones," regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin said.
Zelensky called it an "exceptionally horrific strike," saying it was proof Russia did not want to de-escalate the situation. "Russian forces could not have been unaware that local residents who remained in Komyshuvakha received humanitarian aid there every week," Zelensky said.
According to the DSNS, rescue workers and police officers had arrived at the scene when the threat of another Russian strike emerged. The rescuers took shelter, but Russian forces carried out further strikes on the same site.
The strike on a site used for regular humanitarian aid distribution highlights the risks to civilians and aid workers in front-line areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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