Russian aircraft bombed a school in Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Monday, 2 November, where humanitarian aid was being distributed. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS), 24 people were killed and 27 are listed as missing.
As Volodymyr Zelensky reported, the town had been repeatedly attacked with aerial bombs since morning. The school, used for humanitarian purposes, was hit while residents were coming there for aid. The Ukrainian president described the attack in his post on X as an “exceptionally cruel” strike.
Double strike on a shelter
Zelensky said that a second strike followed the first: nine more bombs were dropped on a shelter where people had sought cover. He stressed that the Russians knew residents who remained in Komyshuvakha were collecting aid there every week. According to Kyiv Independent, the president saw the attack as proof that Russia does not want de-escalation.
DSNS chief Andrii Danyk reported that Russian forces struck again at the site of the first hit. As Ukrinform reports, citing DSNS in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the dead include two rescuers and four police officers.
Death toll rises
Earlier, Zelensky had spoken of 18 dead and five injured. By the evening, DSNS reported 24 fatalities. According to Interfax-Ukraine, followed by other media, Zaporizhzhia city council secretary Regina Charchenko cited 27 missing people. Police and rescuers are clearing rubble while searching for people who may be trapped, so the toll may still rise.
Context
Komyshuvakha lies southeast of Zaporizhzhia, about 20 km from the front line. According to Kyiv Independent, citing the Zaporizhzhia Investigative Centre, it has been classified as a frontline settlement since November 2025 because of regular guided aerial bomb attacks. Ukrainian media also report that Russian forces carried out 970 attacks on 58 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast within a single day.
According to Kyiv Post and Kyiv Post’s partner Kiprinform, the attack came a day after a six-day local ceasefire expired, which was meant to allow aid deliveries and evacuations. Brit Brief links it to a ceasefire in Kherson Oblast. Kyiv Post notes that the strike came as Ukraine prepares for trilateral talks with the United States and Russia in Abu Dhabi. Zelensky previously said these could take place as early as November.
We also previously reported on the Russian drone attack on a platform in Dnipro, in which, according to Zelensky, 13 people were killed.
What it means
The final toll will be known once the rescue operation is complete. As of publication, Russia had not responded to the attack. Attacks on aid distribution points and shelters target civilian facilities protected under international humanitarian law, and Ukraine regularly documents such incidents as war crimes.
