OMM Newsroom
Russian airstrikes on a school used as a humanitarian aid distribution point in the village of Komyshuvakha, in southeastern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, have killed at least 26 people. Ukrainian officials said rescuers and police officers were among those killed, while 27 people remain missing.
According to AnewZ, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces dropped several aerial bombs on the school on November 2. The building was also used as a shelter, and humanitarian aid was distributed there every Monday. Classes had been suspended because the village is close to the front line.
Zelenskyy said the attack took place in two stages: the first strike came as people were arriving, and the shelter was hit later. Emergency services said two rescuers and four police officers were among the dead.
In a social media post, Zelenskyy said the village had been targeted by aerial bombs several times since the morning. He said the initial strike was followed by another attack involving nine more bombs, with the strikes aimed at the shelter where people were hiding. The president initially reported that 18 people had been killed and five injured, adding that search-and-rescue operations were continuing.
“The Russians could not have failed to know that the local residents who remain in Komyshuvakha receive humanitarian aid at that very location every week,” Zelenskyy wrote. He said the attack showed that Russia had no intention of easing tensions or achieving a genuine peace, and urged the international community to respond firmly to Russia and support Ukraine.
Search-and-rescue operations continue
Regina Kharchenko, secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, said 27 people were considered missing after the attack. Police and emergency services are searching for residents believed to be trapped under the rubble.
Photos circulating online show smouldering rubble at the site. One image shows a police officer giving water to a dog rescued from the school shelter.
Ukraine calls for Russia to be excluded from international sport
A day before the attack, a six-day local ceasefire ended in the city of Oleshky in neighbouring Kherson region. The agreement enabled humanitarian aid deliveries and the evacuation of residents wishing to leave the city.
Zelenskyy said the mission in Oleshky had created an opportunity to ease tensions, but Moscow rejected it. “If Russia genuinely wanted to ease tensions, it had the opportunity to continue humanitarian steps after the situation in Oleshky. We proposed this. But Russia continues to kill people,” he said.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha also condemned the attack and urged countries to oppose Russia’s return to major international sporting events. His remarks came after the top court for sport ruled on the restoration of Russia’s participation in major tournaments.
In a post on social media platform X, Sybiha wrote that Russia should face condemnation, isolation and consequences rather than a return to international respect. He said Russia’s participation in international sport could not be considered separately from its military operations in Ukraine.
US plans talks in Abu Dhabi
According to Reuters, a senior US official said Washington plans to bring Ukrainian and Russian delegations together in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11. The discussions are expected to focus on possible steps to end the war, post-war security arrangements and de-escalation.
US negotiators are seeking diplomatic progress before winter. The most recent peace talks mediated by the United States were held in February, before the United States and Israel began their war against Iran.
