ZAPORIZHIA — Ukrainian authorities confirmed 40 deaths from a Russian attack on a humanitarian aid center in the southeastern Zaporizhia region. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the toll on Wednesday, saying additional bodies remained unaccounted for.
More than 30 people may still be buried under rubble in the village of Komyshuvakha, near the front line. Local officials previously reported 37 fatalities and estimated approximately 38 individuals could be trapped.
The Monday strike on a school building used for aid distribution ranks among the deadliest attacks on civilians in Russia's nearly five-year conflict with Ukraine. A second strike hit an underground shelter where people had sought refuge.
Ukrainian police released body-camera footage from one of four officers killed in the incident. The video showed individuals being directed into the underground shelter as a radio warning of incoming guided aerial bombs was received, before the footage cut off.
Among the dead were four police officers and two members of a rescue crew. Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the regional military administration, said search operations in Komyshuvakha would continue despite disruptions from Russian drones.
The United Nations human rights mission in Ukraine said Tuesday that the bombing likely violated international law.
President Zelenskyy called the incident a "vile terrorist strike" and said it showed Russia's unwillingness to de-escalate. He noted the attack squandered an opportunity created by a ceasefire and humanitarian mission in the front-line village of Oleshky the previous week.
The strike came as Kyiv prepares for ceasefire talks with Moscow next week, brokered by the United States. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that delegations from Ukraine and Russia will meet in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11 to discuss post-war security agreements, de-escalation strategies, humanitarian measures and a path to ending the conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to attend the talks after meeting Witkoff in St. Petersburg on October 21.
Previous negotiations have yielded minimal progress. Russia has insisted that Kyiv cede territory, demilitarize and provide guarantees against joining NATO — positions Moscow has refused to compromise on.
The Trump administration has backed Russia's stance, a position that has alarmed Kyiv and European capitals. President Zelenskyy said Wednesday that "there has been very little reaction from the world to this insane attack," attempting to draw international attention to the suffering in Ukraine.
