Komyshuvakha airstrike death toll rises to 43 as search continues

The death toll from the Russian airstrike on Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia region on November 2, 2026, has risen to 43, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on November 5. The search and rescue operation is in its fourth day. Dozens of people could still be beneath the rubble, he said. The death toll is not yet final.

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Zelenskyy also said that a person previously considered missing was found alive on November 5. The president did not specify where the person was found. His statement therefore does not mean that the person was pulled from the rubble.

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Earlier on November 5, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported 42 deaths. Rescuers, specialists from the service’s State Mine Rescue Unit and search dog teams are taking part in the operation. The service said clearing the destroyed structures requires particular care and coordination.

The strike hit a school where residents were receiving humanitarian aid. According to Ukrinform, the underground school premises were being used as an invincibility point — a place providing basic assistance during utility disruptions. Zelenskyy reported that Russia used nine aerial bombs and said rescuers and police arriving at the scene were attacked after the strike on the people there. He said the search was proceeding under a constant threat of further strikes.

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The attack’s consequences also affected people who depended on those killed for help. Volunteer Vlad Makhovskyi said an 80-year-old woman whose carer died in the airstrike was evacuated from Komyshuvakha on November 4. He said the elderly woman was taken to safety. Ukrinform published his account on November 5.