Standfirst: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 43 people have been confirmed killed following Russian air strikes on a school used to distribute humanitarian aid in the Zaporizhzhia region. One missing person has been found alive, while rescue teams continue searching the wreckage.
5 November 2026 | World News
At least 43 people have been confirmed dead after air strikes on Komyshuvakha, a settlement in south-eastern Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attack took place on Monday, 2 November, at a school where residents had gathered to receive humanitarian assistance.
In an update on Thursday, the Ukrainian president said one person previously listed as missing had been found alive. He warned that dozens could still be trapped beneath the collapsed building.
Search continues as toll rises
Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine’s National Police reported recovering 42 bodies and estimated that up to 33 people might remain under the rubble. Zelenskyy’s subsequent announcement raised the confirmed death toll to 43. These figures are successive updates, not separate casualty totals.
Identification of victims remains under way. Authorities have said some bodies require forensic examination and DNA comparisons. Four police officers and two emergency responders were among those reported killed in the strikes.
School and shelter struck
The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine condemned the 2 November attacks, reporting that both an aid-distribution site at a school and a nearby shelter were hit. The UN said civilians and emergency personnel were among those killed.
Reuters reported that verified body-camera footage from a police officer killed in the attack showed the moments before a subsequent strike destroyed a shelter where people had sought safety. Ukrainian police said the attack involved heavy guided aerial bombs.
Russian account and outstanding questions
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its operations targeted Ukrainian military units in and around Komyshuvakha and two other settlements, and claimed Ukrainian military casualties. That account does not resolve the documented reports of civilian deaths at the aid-distribution site. Moscow and Kyiv both deny deliberately targeting civilians.
The final casualty count remains uncertain while rescuers continue searching and identifying victims. BaretaNews will update this report when further information is confirmed.
