Zelenskyy confirms 40 dead in Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia aid center

At least 40 people have been confirmed dead and more than 30 remain missing after a Russian double-tap aerial bombing destroyed a school being used as a humanitarian aid distribution center in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces dropped nine glide bombs on the facility in the village of Komyshuvakha on Monday. The initial strike targeted residents gathered to collect humanitarian assistance, while a follow-up attack hit first responders and police officers who arrived at the scene to rescue survivors.

Bodycam footage released by Ukraine's national police shows officers directing civilians into an underground shelter shortly before a second bomb struck the location. Emergency crews from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine continue to clear heavy rubble at the site, where dozens of people are feared trapped beneath the collapsed structure.

Russia's Defence Ministry claimed its forces targeted military personnel in the area, asserting that up to 25 Ukrainian service members were killed. Moscow has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure throughout the invasion, despite repeated strikes on residential areas, schools, and energy networks.

The heavy loss of life comes as Zelenskyy conducts meetings across Europe to request additional missile interceptors from Western partners. Speaking during visits to Germany and Spain, Zelenskyy criticised the international response to the strike as inadequate, warning that Russian forces are taking advantage of critical shortages in Ukrainian air defences.

The strike also precedes scheduled diplomatic engagements aimed at addressing the war. Preparatory talks took place in Brussels involving representatives from the United States, the European Union, NATO, and the World Bank regarding security guarantees, while formal trilateral discussions involving Ukrainian, Russian, and American representatives are set for 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi.