Ukraine reports 29 dead after Russian missile hits aid distribution site
Overnight strikes on power infrastructure across nine regions coincided with U.S. elections, prompting President Zelenskyy to demand stronger air defense support.
By Lorenzo Patterson ·
Ukrainian officials confirmed 29 people died in a Russian attack on a humanitarian aid site in the southern Zaporizhzhia region on Tuesday, with 48 others still missing. The strike targeted a school building in the village of Komyushuvakha that was being used to distribute supplies, followed by a hit on a nearby shelter.
Mykhailo Semikin, the acting head of the regional military administration, stated that the victims included four police officers and two rescue workers. At least five additional people were injured in the blast. The death toll has risen as search and rescue efforts continue at the scene.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles, and 59 cruise missiles across nine Ukrainian regions during the overnight period. The barrage caused emergency power cuts and damaged hospitals and other infrastructure. Zelenskyy noted that the timing of the strikes aligned with U.S. elections.
In his online post, Zelenskyy argued that Russia intended to send a specific message during the American voting process. He said, “The Russians think America won’t notice this signal of theirs,” and added, “We need to notice and stop such terror. We need to help Ukraine defend its skies; otherwise, Russia will never stop its missile strikes.”
Other regions reported significant casualties from the same wave of attacks. In Kharkiv, a combined missile and drone strike wounded at least 62 people and damaged a medical facility in the Nemyshlianskyi district. Regional head Oleh Syniehubov said more than 200 patients were transferred to other facilities. In Dnipro, rescuers pulled a woman from rubble after an attack killed one person and injured 17 others.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down 856 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 493 drones were fired toward the capital. In the Russian city of Yaroslavl, a Ukrainian drone attack wounded two employees at an oil refinery and damaged its infrastructure, according to regional Governor Mikhail Yevrayev. Rolling blackouts have also been instituted in parts of Russian-occupied Crimea following attacks on energy infrastructure.
