Rescue workers in Ukraine have discovered a survivor three days after a Russian airstrike devastated a humanitarian aid distribution centre in the Zaporizhzhia region, killing at least 43 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday, November 5.
The attack struck an underground shelter within a school compound in the frontline village of Komyshuvakha, where residents had gathered at a facility being used to distribute humanitarian assistance.
Zelenskyy announced the discovery on Telegram, confirming that one person previously reported missing had been rescued alive. However, he warned that dozens of others could still be trapped beneath the wreckage.
According to Ukrainian authorities, as many as 33 people may remain buried under the rubble as emergency crews continue searching for survivors and recovering bodies.
Rescue teams are also working to identify those killed in the attack.
Rescue Operations Continue Amid Extensive Destruction
Ukraine’s national police released footage showing emergency personnel recovering bodies from the destroyed shelter while excavators cleared debris from the site.
The footage illustrated the scale of the destruction following the Russian strikes, which hit the area earlier this week.
Body-camera footage recovered from a police officer killed in the attack, and verified by Reuters, captured the moments leading up to a second Russian strike.
The recording showed that residents had taken shelter following a radio warning before another explosion struck the location.
Ukrainian police reported that the attack involved a three-tonne FAB glide bomb, a powerful aerial weapon believed to carry approximately 1.4 tonnes of explosives.
Russia Claims Military Targets Were Hit
Russia’s Defence Ministry maintained that its military operation targeted Ukrainian forces in Komyshuvakha and two neighbouring settlements.
Moscow claimed that up to 25 Ukrainian military personnel were killed in the strikes. The claim has not been independently verified.
Ukrainian authorities, meanwhile, have emphasized the civilian casualties and the destruction of a facility used for humanitarian assistance.
Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians during the ongoing conflict.
Zelenskyy Condemns Continued Russian Attacks
President Zelenskyy condemned the bombing and highlighted the continued threat posed by Russian missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian communities.
He said Russian forces were carrying out attacks on Ukrainian cities and settlements daily, as rescue workers struggled to recover victims from the latest destruction.
The bombing in Komyshuvakha has added to the mounting civilian toll of the war, particularly in frontline regions exposed to sustained aerial bombardment.
With dozens of people potentially still missing beneath the debris, Ukrainian authorities have warned that the confirmed death toll could rise as search and recovery operations continue.
