In brief: The death toll from Russia's Nov. 2 airstrike on Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia region has risen to 53. Rescuers continue searching the rubble, while Zelensky says dozens were still missing as of Thursday.
The death toll from a Russian airstrike on Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia region has risen to 53, local authorities reported on Friday, Nov. 6, as rescuers continued searching the rubble five days after the attack.
The State Emergency Service (DSNS) initially reported that 50 people had been killed, saying rescuers had recovered the bodies of eight additional victims during search operations.
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Despite difficult conditions and the ongoing threat of further Russian attacks, rescue crews continued working at the site.
The Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration (OVA) later updated the death toll to 53.
“Search and rescue operations have been underway at the scene of the tragedy for five days,” the administration said, expressing condolences to the victims’ families and thanking rescuers for their efforts.
The attack took place on Nov. 2, when Russian forces struck a former school building in Komyshuvakha where residents had gathered to receive humanitarian aid.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 43 bodies had been recovered from the rubble and another 53 people were still considered missing. He warned that the total number of people killed could approach 100.
“In just one of our settlements – where the Russians dropped about ten aerial bombs – rescuers are still clearing the rubble and recovering people,” Zelensky said in a statement published on Telegram.
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“The settlement is called Komyshuvakha. And almost the entire world remains silent about this. In this single settlement, in the span of just one day, nearly a hundred people may have perished due to Russian bombs,” he added.
Zelensky said all those who were killed or remained missing had been inside the school building when it was struck.
“The Russians knew exactly what they were striking,” he said, urging the international community to pay attention to the attack.
“Please, do not remain silent about such crimes.”
The president made the remarks while addressing participants of a special panel on Ukraine at the 30th Ibero-American Summit.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s National Police have released bodycam footage showing the final moments before a Russian strike on a shelter in Komyshuvakha killed dozens.
The footage was recorded on Monday, Nov. 2, by a police officer helping evacuate residents from a former school building. The officer was among those killed in the attack, police said.
The video shows officers urging residents to take shelter after warning of a second incoming attack involving guided aerial bombs (KABs). People rush inside, and the recording ends as the ceiling collapses under the impact of a strike.
Russian forces dropped nine glide bombs on Komyshuvakha that day, initially hitting the former school where residents had gathered to receive humanitarian aid. They then struck the shelter where civilians, police officers and rescuers had taken cover.
The building was no longer used as a school. Children from the settlement had been evacuated in June, while humanitarian aid was being distributed there on the day of the attack.
Zelensky said on Thursday that one person previously listed as missing was found alive, but dozens were potentially still trapped beneath the rubble.
At least four police officers and two DSNS rescuers were among the dead. Several others were injured, including two emergency workers who were hospitalized.
Rescue efforts hampered by further attacks
The search operation has been complicated by Russian drone threats, shelling and thick smoke inside the damaged building, putting emergency crews at risk and making it difficult to reach survivors.
On Wednesday, Zelensky said around 30 people could still be trapped under the rubble.
“Unfortunately, there has been very little reaction from the world to this insane attack,” he said, calling for stronger international support for Ukraine’s air defenses.
Latvia, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in November, has called for an extraordinary meeting over the strike. If convened, the session would bring the attack before all 15 council members, including Russia, which has veto power as a permanent member.
Russian propaganda claimed the strike targeted Ukrainian military formations, while Russian military bloggers alleged that the building housed a drone command center.
The attack came a day after a localized ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region ended. Zelensky said the strike had undermined hopes for de-escalation and signaled Moscow’s intention to continue its attacks.
Region to cover funeral costs and compensate injured
The Zaporizhzhia regional budget will cover funeral expenses for those killed, regional military administration head Mykhailo Semikin said on Nov. 4.
Victims with moderate injuries will receive Hr. 20,000 (about $440), while those with severe injuries will receive an additional Hr. 30,000 (about $670), bringing compensation to up to Hr. 50,000 (about $1,100).
Police are also collecting biological samples from victims’ relatives to create DNA profiles and identify the deceased. Specialists are helping families navigate the identification process and related procedures.
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