Russian strikes on a school serving as a humanitarian aid distribution center in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killed at least 33 people on Nov. 2, while more than 50 others may still be trapped under the rubble, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference in Berlin.

Russian strikes on a school serving as a humanitarian aid distribution center in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killed at least 33 people on Nov. 2, while 48 others remain missing, Governor Mykhailo Semikin said.

Two rescue workers and four police officers were among those killed. Five others, including two rescue workers, were injured, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS).

"The scale of the tragedy is horrific. Behind every number lies a human life, a family that has lost its loved ones or is still waiting for news of their loved ones," regional Governor Mykhailo Semikin said.

Search and rescue operations were still underway at the site of the Russian attack on the morning of Nov. 3, the governor added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces launched several aerial bomb attacks on the settlement throughout the morning, initially striking a school where humanitarian aid was regularly distributed to local residents.

Following the initial strike, Russian forces dropped another nine aerial bombs on a shelter where people were taking refuge, Zelensky said.

He called it an "exceptionally horrific strike," saying it was proof Russia did not want to de-escalate the situation.

"Russian forces could not have been unaware that local residents who remained in Komyshuvakha received humanitarian aid there every week," Zelensky said.

According to the DSNS, rescue workers and police officers had arrived at the scene when the threat of another Russian strike emerged. The rescuers took shelter, but Russian forces carried out further strikes on the same site.

The attack destroyed a gymnasium, an outbuilding, and a fire truck, while also damaging the school building.

Among those killed were two rescue workers, Denys Konovalenko and Oleksii Sushchevskyi, both 44, DSNS said.

Konovalenko had served in Ukraine's civil protection service for nearly twelve years, while Sushchevskyi had worked in fire and rescue units in Zaporizhzhia since 2013. Both had received state awards for their service. They are survived by their wives and four children between the two families, according to DSNS.

Komyshuvakha is located about 20 kilometers from the front line and has been considered a front-line settlement since November 2025 amid repeated Russian guided aerial bomb attacks, according to the Zaporizhzhia Investigation Center.

Russia frequently uses guided aerial bombs, known as KABs, to attack front-line areas. Fitted with wing kits, these bombs can travel tens of kilometers, allowing Russian aircraft to strike targets from a distance while staying outside the range of air defense systems.