Komyshuvakha school strike: at least 40 killed in Zaporizhzhia region

At least 40 people were killed in a Russian strike on a school in the Ukrainian village of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. The building served as both a shelter and a humanitarian aid distribution point. The moment of impact was captured on police body camera footage, Ukrainian outlet Unian reports.

What the camera footage shows

The video shows people heading down into a shelter next to the school after warnings that Russian forces had launched guided missiles. The camera then records the moment of the strike itself.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote that some of the victims have not yet been identified. According to him, more than 30 people may still be trapped under the rubble.

Nine bombs and a second strike

According to the Ukrainian side, the Russian army dropped nine guided aerial bombs on the school. The strike came while people were queuing for food and medicine.

In Komyshuvakha, Russian forces reportedly used a “double-tap” tactic, a repeat strike. The first wave of bombs hit civilians gathered outside the school. The second strike deliberately targeted the same spot as rescuers and police officers arrived to help the wounded. As a result, the dead include both rescuers and police officers.

Attacks continued on Wednesday

Russian strikes did not stop on Wednesday: two more people were killed in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Overnight, Moscow also attacked civilian and energy infrastructure in other regions of Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its targets were military facilities and that it used high-precision missiles. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 310 drones of various types overnight into Wednesday, of which 272 were shot down or neutralized.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz