In brief: Rescuers have recovered 37 bodies from the rubble in Komyshuvakha, but 59 people remain missing and up to 38 may still be trapped. Police are collecting DNA samples from relatives to identify the victims.
Rescue operations at a school in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, struck by Russian guided aerial bombs on Monday have entered their third day, with 37 bodies recovered from the rubble and 59 people still listed as missing, the National Police of Ukraine reported on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Police said 12 victims have been identified so far. Some of the remaining bodies cannot be identified visually, while police added that as many as 38 people may still be trapped beneath the debris.
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Specialists from the regional police center responsible for tracing people missing under special circumstances are working with the victims’ families to collect biological samples and create DNA profiles for comparison with those of the deceased.
Police officers are also supporting relatives throughout the identification process, explaining the procedures and providing assistance.
Authorities said specialists are making every effort to identify the victims as quickly as possible and return their bodies to their families for burial.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday, Nov. 3, that at least 33 people were killed and more than 50 may still be trapped under the rubble of a school in Komyshuvakha, following a Russian aerial attack on Monday, Nov. 2.
Russian forces struck the settlement with at least nine guided aerial bombs, targeting a school where humanitarian aid was distributed every Monday.
ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 3, 2026
After the initial strike, Russian aircraft launched a second wave of attacks on the shelter where civilians had taken cover. Among those killed were at least four police officers and two State Emergency Service (DSNS) rescuers.
The attack also injured several people, including two emergency workers who were hospitalized.
Rescuers said Russian drones, shelling and thick smoke inside the damaged building have complicated the search, while the threat of further strikes continues to put emergency crews at risk.
The strike came a day after a localized ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region ended.
Zelensky said the attack undermined hopes for de-escalation, accusing Moscow of signaling that it intended to continue the killings.
Authorities in the Zaporizhzhia region declared three days of mourning, from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5.
Komyshuvakha has previously been targeted during humanitarian aid distributions. In June, a Russian drone strike wounded four people while aid was being handed out in the settlement.
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