Russian Airstrikes in Zaporizhzhia Kill 24, DSNS Says
At least 24 people were killed after Russian aerial bombs struck a humanitarian aid distribution centre in the Ukrainian village of Komyshuvakha, according to figures released by Ukraine’s state emergencies service DSNS. The updated toll exceeds an initial count of 18 deaths announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately following the November 2, 2026 attack.
Aerial Bombs Target School Housing Aid Recipients
The strike deployed at least nine 3,000kg aerial bombs against the southern Zaporizhzhia region, according to regional head Mykhailo Semikin. The munitions hit a local school that was actively utilized for humanitarian needs, followed by a second direct impact on a shelter where civilians had gathered. The dead include two emergency rescue workers and four police officers. Five people sustained injuries, while 27 individuals were initially reported missing in the aftermath of the bombardment.
An utterly horrific Russian attack on the settlement of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. Since this morning, the settlement has been hit several times by aerial bombs. The strikes targeted a school used for humanitarian purposes – people were receiving humanitarian aid… pic.twitter.com/T02r0HlNCZ
The Russian military has not publicly commented on the attack. In a statement posted to social media, Zelenskyy condemned the strike as utterly horrific. He emphasized that Russian forces were fully aware that local residents routinely gathered at the Komyshuvakha site to receive weekly humanitarian supplies.
Intense Regional Shelling Across Zaporizhzhia
The devastating strike in Komyshuvakha unfolded amid a backdrop of extensive military activity across the wider Zaporizhzhia region. Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the Zaporizhzhia Region Defense Council, reported via Ukrinform that Russian forces launched 699 attacks targeting 55 settlements over a 24-hour period. These operations included 20 airstrikes, 486 unmanned aerial vehicle attacks—primarily involving first-person view drones—alongside multiple launch rocket system and artillery strikes.
Rescue efforts at the Komyshuvakha site faced continuous disruption. Semikin described the situation as a terrible tragedy and confirmed that emergency teams were forced to pause their search operations multiple times due to active Russian drone activity in the immediate area.
Zelenskyy Says Russian Attack Shows Unwillingness to Pursue Peace
The escalation follows a fragile, brief window of civilian evacuation. Zelenskyy noted that the attack occurred shortly after a successful joint Russian-Ukrainian operation evacuated civilians from the Russian-occupied southern city of Oleshky.
BREAKING: Death toll from Russian strikes on a school in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, rises to 24, including 2 rescuers and 4 police officers, per Ukraine's State Emergency Service. Aid was being handed out when it was hit. Russia then dropped 9 more aerial bombs, striking… pic.twitter.com/iED4U8Sn3Q
With such killings, Russia is sending the exact opposite signal – Russia is counting on further killings.
Zelenskyy wrote, asserting that the action demonstrates Moscow’s unwillingness to pursue de-escalation or peace.
Simultaneously, Kyiv’s General Staff accused Russian forces of exploiting a recent U.S.-backed humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region to rotate units, reinforce defenses, and strengthen battlefield logistics.
