Russian Strikes Kill at Least 26 at Zaporizhzhia Region Aid Centre, Ukraine Says

At least 26 people were killed and five injured in Russian airstrikes on a humanitarian aid distribution site in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region on Monday, November 2, according to Ukrainian officials cited in ABC’s November 3 report . People remained missing after search teams worked through the rubble into the night.

The attack struck Komyshuvakha, southeast of Zaporizhzhia city, rather than the city itself. Ukrainian officials said the site was a school used for weekly aid distribution, with classes suspended because the settlement was too close to the front line.

Those killed included four police officers and two rescue workers, according to reporting published by The Print . Five people were hospitalized, including two other rescuers.

ABC reported on November 3 that Russia had not publicly commented. The attribution of the attack and the casualty figures are based on Ukrainian authorities’ accounts.

Aid Site and Shelter Struck

Ukrainian officials said the aerial attacks began on Monday morning. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the first bombs struck as people were arriving to receive aid, followed by further strikes on a shelter where people had taken cover.

Zelenskyy described nine additional bombs after the initial attack, according to The Print. The reports do not establish a precise time for the first strike.

The school hosted humanitarian aid distribution every Monday. Its use as an aid site, rather than an operating school, is an important distinction in the accounts of the attack.

Death Toll Rises as Missing Figures Differ

The reported death toll increased from 18 to 24 and then to at least 26 during November 2 and subsequent reporting updates. Ukraine’s emergency service reported the intermediate figure of 24 before the later total emerged.

The number of people missing remains unresolved. Reuters and ABC reported 27 missing, while the Associated Press described about 20. Those figures are differing accounts, not a confirmed downward revision, and should not be added to the death toll.

Search teams continued working after nightfall on November 2. Regional officials said further Russian drone attacks hampered the rescue operation, according to the Associated Press .

With people still reported missing and rescue work disrupted, the casualty count remained provisional in reporting available on November 3.