Death Toll Rises to 53 After Russian Strike on Zaporizhzhia School Used for Humanitarian Aid

Rescuers have recovered the bodies of 53 people from the rubble of an underground school in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, following a Russian airstrike on November 2, Ukrinform reported on November 6.

Yuliia Barysheva, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Emergency Service in the Zaporizhzhia region, confirmed the updated death toll during an interagency press conference.

Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration had also confirmed the number of fatalities.

“At the moment, rescuers have already brought 53 bodies to the surface. Around another 50 people are considered missing. Search operations have not stopped,” Barysheva stated.

Rescue teams and canine units from Zaporizhzhia and other regions are working at the site. Personnel are being transported to the area in armored vehicles because of continuing security threats, according to Ukrinform.

Barysheva noted that repeated attacks and shelling periodically force rescuers to suspend operations.

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Rescue dog handler Roman Samolenko told Ukrinform that large amounts of dust are further complicating the search. Canine teams are examining the site to locate bodies and human remains.

The November 2 attack struck a school used to distribute humanitarian aid to local residents. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces “could not have been unaware” that civilians remaining in Komyshuvakha received assistance there every week.

After the first attack, nine additional aerial bombs hit the shelter. Search operations remain underway, with roughly 50 people still listed as missing.

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