Russian bomb attack on aid distribution school kills 24 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Twenty-four people were killed when Russian forces bombed a school serving as a humanitarian aid distribution point in Komyshuvakha, in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to Ukrainian authorities. Five people were injured, and regional officials reported 27 missing as search and rescue work continued following the November 2 attack.

Ukraine's State Emergency Service gave the latest death toll, saying two emergency workers and four police officers were among those killed. Two first responders were also among the five injured. The service's update raised the number of confirmed deaths from the 18 previously reported by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the regional administration.

In a statement on X, Zelenskyy said Komyshuvakha had come under repeated aerial bombardment since the morning. He said people were collecting humanitarian assistance at the school when it was attacked. The building was being used to provide aid to residents who had remained in the settlement.

According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces followed the first aerial bomb strike with another attack involving nine additional bombs. He said the subsequent strikes hit a shelter where people had taken cover. Describing the rescue effort as extremely difficult, the president said military personnel, first responders and special services were participating in the operation and continuing to search for people.

Mykhailo Semikin, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, said at least nine FAB-3000 guided aerial bombs had struck the centre of the village. In his earlier account, he reported 18 deaths, including a police officer and two State Emergency Service personnel, alongside five injuries and 27 people still missing.

Zelenskyy said humanitarian supplies were distributed at the school every week. He argued that Russian forces could not have been unaware of that activity, pointing to the school's regular role in assisting local people who continued to live in Komyshuvakha.

The president also linked the attack to prospects for peace. Referring to a humanitarian operation in Oleshky, he said there had been an opportunity for subsequent steps to demonstrate progress towards peace. He argued that the killings instead showed Russia was unwilling to pursue de-escalation or justice.

Zelenskyy offered condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and called for a strong international response to Russia, together with support for Ukraine. Search and rescue operations at the site remained ongoing as authorities reported the higher death toll.