On November 2, 2026, Russian aviation launched two successive strikes on the settlement of Kamyshevakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at least 18 residents were killed as a result of the airstrikes, and another five were injured. Both strikes hit facilities that, according to Ukrainian authorities, were used to distribute humanitarian aid to the local population. The scale of destruction and the progress of search and rescue operations were reported by Ivan Fedorov, Chairman of the Zaporizhzhia Defense Council, and Mykhailo Semykin, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.
Chronology and Nature of the Strikes
According to Zelenskyy's statement on Telegram, the first guided bomb strike hit a school building which, he said, was used for humanitarian needs: humanitarian aid was distributed to people there every week. The first strike was immediately followed by a second one involving nine bombs which, according to the president, directly hit a shelter where people were staying at the time. Zelenskyy stressed that the Russian military "could not have failed to know" about the weekly humanitarian distributions at this exact location. The term "KABs" (kinetic aerial bombs) appears in the headline of the RBC-Ukraine source, indicating the type of weaponry used.
Victims and Missing Persons
As of the time the statements were published, 18 deaths and five injuries are known. Zaporizhzhia RMA Head Mykhailo Semykin clarified that the dead include a police officer and two rescue workers from the State Emergency Service. Another 27 people are listed as missing. Ivan Fedorov reported that the fate of the remaining victims is being established: "The search and rescue operation is ongoing. All services are working at the site in an enhanced mode, and utility workers are clearing the rubble." Thus, the final death toll may be revised as the debris clearance concludes.
Humanitarian Context and Zelenskyy's Assessment
Zelenskyy called the incident "extremely terrible" and linked the strike to a recent humanitarian mission in Oleshky, after which, he said, there was "hope for approaching peace." The president stated that Russia is "calculating further killings" and that the incident is "further proof" that Moscow seeks neither de-escalation nor "real justice." These statements received no commentary from Russian authorities in the provided materials.
State of the Territory and Consequences
Photos from the scene published in conjunction with Zelenskyy's statement capture the scale of the destruction: burned-out buildings, debris and soil mounds, damaged transport including a burned truck and a car. Visible traces indicate strikes that caused significant destruction in the residential and infrastructural zone of the settlement. Search and rescue and utility services continue their work at the site, indicating that a full damage assessment and the final casualty list have not yet been compiled.
