A Russian drone struck rescue workers responding to a devastated former school in southern Ukraine on Sunday, hitting a site previously blasted by multiple guided bombs while residents waited for humanitarian aid, AP News reported.
The Sunday strike in the village of Komyshuvakha damaged specialized rescue equipment though no injuries were reported, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. This followed an earlier barrage on November 2 where nine Russian glide bombs struck the same town, killing at least 50 people who had gathered near the local school, Al Jazeera reported.
Death Toll Rises as Authorities Use DNA Analysis
Ukraine stated that the initial attack killed at least 55 people near the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region, while AP News noted the death toll had risen to 53 in separate local reports cited by CNN. As of Sunday afternoon, 45 people remained listed as missing, according to Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the regional military administration.
Authorities are using DNA analysis to identify many of the recovered bodies. Village resident Mykola Krasnov told AP News on Saturday that he was still searching for his wife. She went to get humanitarian aid, and a 3-ton bomb was dropped there. Where is she?
he said.
Ukraine has frequently accused Russian forces of conducting double-tap strikes—subsequent attacks timed to hit emergency crews responding to an initial blast. On Saturday, relatives and police officers gathered on Khortytsia Island in Zaporizhzhia for a farewell ceremony honoring six police officers killed in the Komyshuvakha strikes, alongside three local residents.
“They used every skill at their disposal to protect themselves. But when the enemy deliberately gathered civilians in one place and then launched strikes against them, no skills could have helped.”
said Andrii Khomenko, a police lieutenant colonel who worked alongside the victims. Yurii Karapetian, whose wife Natalia was killed while distributing bread to those in the shelter, described the loss as unbearable and urged international intervention.
France Joins U.S.-Mediated Talks While Missile Strikes Hit Power Grids
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Sunday that France and other European representatives will participate in U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine scheduled in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11. France will be there and will ensure that Europe’s voice is heard,
Barrot told RTL radio.
Russian missile attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region left more than 600,000 people without power, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday. The Russian defense ministry countered that its forces targeted an electrical substation powering Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises. Zelenskyy noted that Russia deployed 115 missiles, 1,900 guided aerial bombs, and over 3,000 drones over the past week.
This morning, the Russians attacked Komyshuvakha with an FPV drone, where emergency rescue operations have been underway for seven days following an aerial bomb strike that killed 55 people. Unfortunately, more people may still be under the rubble. Absolute cynicism and… pic.twitter.com/emZcRwnJXw
| Metric / Event | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Komyshuvakha Initial Strike | November 2 glide bomb attack killing at least 50–55 people | AP News / Al Jazeera / CNN |
| Missing Persons (Zaporizhzhia) | 45 individuals listed as missing as of Sunday afternoon | AP News |
| Upcoming Diplomatic Talks | U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10–11 | AP News |
| Power Outages (Dnipropetrovsk) | Over 600,000 residents left without electricity | AP News |
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