Russian double-tap strike on a Zaporizhzhia aid point kills at least 40 as trilateral talks loom without prospect of de-escalation

At least 40 people were killed on Monday when Russian forces carried out a double-tap strike on the village of Komyshuvakha in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, hitting a humanitarian aid distribution point and then an underground shelter where survivors had taken refuge.

Nine gliding bombs, some weighing 3,000kg, struck the village, according to Ukrainian officials. The first strike hit people gathered for humanitarian aid near a local school, and the second struck the underground shelter where they had fled for safety. Bodycam footage from a killed police officer, released by Ukrainian national police on Wednesday, shows residents being ushered into the shelter as a radio warning of incoming bombs crackles in the background. One officer is heard shouting, “Quickly [go] to the shelter!” Seconds later the shelter is hit, and the recording stops. BBC Verify confirmed the bodycam footage was filmed in the same location as aftermath video released by Ukraine’s state emergencies service, the DSNS. Four police officers and two rescue crew members were among the dead.

Zelensky said more than 30 people may still be under the rubble as the search entered its third day. Russian drones have been hampering the effort to find victims. Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the regional military administration, insisted operations would continue despite the drone interruptions. The death toll was raised from 37 to 40 on Wednesday. Local officials had earlier estimated about 38 people could remain trapped.

Zelensky condemns the world’s silence

Zelensky posted on social media Wednesday saying there has been very little reaction from the world to this insane attack. “But it, like thousands upon thousands of other war crimes Russia has committed against Ukraine and Ukrainians, demands a strong response. Evil always goes further if it is left unanswered,” he said. The UN human rights mission in Ukraine said Tuesday the bombing likely violated international law. Zelensky said the attack wasted an opportunity created by a ceasefire and humanitarian mission last week in the front-line village of Oleshky.

Talks resume amid escalating attacks

Trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the US are scheduled for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi. Steve Witkoff is involved as the US peace envoy, and Putin agreed to the talks after meeting Witkoff in St Petersburg on October 21. Zelensky said he spoke for an hour-and-a-half with Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Wednesday. Previous meetings secured little progress, with Moscow refusing to compromise on demands including territorial concessions, demilitarisation, and no NATO membership for Kyiv. The Trump administration has appeared to offer support for Russia’s position. Analysts expect no major breakthrough. The trilateral talks were suspended in February, and Moscow has stepped up attacks as Kyiv virtually ran out of Western-supplied interceptors.

Separately, Zelensky’s team met in Brussels with representatives from the US, the EU, France, Britain, Germany, NATO and the World Bank about post-war reconstruction. The Brussels meeting is to continue Thursday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelensky is currently making a surprise visit to Spain.