The death toll from Russian bombing of a humanitarian aid distribution point in southeastern Ukraine rose to 43 on Thursday, police said, as rescuers continued searching the ruins of a school building in Komyshuvakha.
Up to 33 people could remain beneath the rubble in the Zaporizhzhia region settlement, according to regional police.
Tu-95. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tu-95 Bomber Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The figures updated Wednesday’s toll of 40.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed for stronger international support and additional air defenses following Monday’s “insane” attack.
School Strikes
According to Ukrainian authorities, the school, which had stopped holding classes because of its proximity to the front line, was being used instead for humanitarian activities, including distributing assistance every Monday.
Zelensky said Russian forces first struck as residents arrived for aid, then attacked again as people sought shelter and emergency personnel responded. “It is an extremely difficult operation, very challenging, and it is being carried out under virtually constant threat of new Russian strikes,” the Ukrainian president said on Wednesday.
UN Monitors Raise Legal Concerns
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said local authorities had publicly announced the distribution the previous day, specifying that it would take place between 10 a.m. and noon.
“Dozens were killed while civilians gathered to receive humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha — the timing and location of the humanitarian distribution were well publicized,” said Danielle Bell, head of HRMMU.
“Either the Russian armed forces knew that there was a humanitarian distribution taking place, or they failed to take the most basic steps to find out what was happening in this village they were planning to attack.
In either case, this attack seems to have violated the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.”
International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish civilians and civilian objects from military objectives. It also prohibits indiscriminate attacks and disproportionate civilian harm, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Search and Rescue Efforts Continue
Search operations continued into their fourth day Thursday, alongside efforts to establish the identities of those recovered.
According to regional police, some bodies could not reportedly be identified visually, with specialists collecting DNA samples for comparison.
Tu-95 Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tu-95 Bear Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
President Zelensky criticized the “very little” international reaction to the “insane” attack and renewed his request for air defense systems.
Ukraine’s national police said the attack included a three-ton FAB glide bomb. Such weapons combine large explosive payloads with guidance equipment that allows them to travel toward targets after release from aircraft.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its forces targeted Ukrainian military units near Komyshuvakha and two other settlements, claiming that as many as 25 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed.
Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians despite strikes regularly hitting civilian infrastructure, including apartment buildings.
Energy Attacks Continue Before Talks
The aid-center bombing was followed Tuesday by a major Russian assault on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Reuters reported damage to power plants and substations across the country, with emergency outages in Kyiv and other regions. DTEK said three of its five thermal power plants were knocked offline.
Kyiv residents also experienced extensive water disruptions as electricity shortages affected pumping facilities. Local authorities introduced emergency measures while crews worked to restore services.
Much like the previous four winters, Moscow is likely to target energy infrastructure throughout the coming months.
Taking out such infrastructure during the Ukrainian winter, when temperatures regularly fall below freezing, not only impacts supply lines and fuel for the armed forces, but also strikes Ukrainian morale as civilians live with no electricity and no heating, sometimes for days at a time.
The two warring nations are set for trilateral talks with the United States next week in Abu Dhabi, with discussions expected to include de-escalation and security arrangements.
Yesterday, U.S. officials met with representatives from the European Union and NATO, as well as officials from the World Bank and the global business community, according to President Zelensky, focusing on post-war recovery.
A follow-up meeting on security guarantees was set to be held this morning in Brussels.
“The negotiations must move forward at full throttle to bring this war to an end as quickly as possible,” Zelensky said on social media. “Ukraine is ready to take the necessary steps. Our proposals are clear, and we have given them to the American side.”
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
