Ukraine raises death toll from Russian strike on Zaporizhia to 40 people

What the report says

Ukrainian authorities say the death toll from a Russian strike in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region has risen to 40, after an attack on an aid-distribution site in the village of Komyshuvakha, near the front line. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that some bodies had not yet been recovered and that more than 30 people could still be under the rubble. Local officials had previously put the toll at 37 and said dozens may still be missing.

According to Al Jazeera’s reporting, Russian forces dropped several bombs on a school building being used as a humanitarian aid hub, and a later strike hit an underground shelter where people had taken cover. Ukrainian officials said four police officers and two rescue workers were among those killed. Rescue efforts were continuing despite disruptions from Russian drones, and acting regional military chief Mykhailo Semikin said operations would go on.

Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a deliberate act of terror and said it showed no Russian interest in de-escalation. The United Nations human rights mission in Ukraine said the bombing likely violated international law. The attack comes as Kyiv prepares for US-brokered talks with Moscow in Abu Dhabi next week, part of renewed diplomatic efforts that have so far made limited progress.