The death toll from Russia's bombing of a humanitarian aid distribution centre in Ukraine has risen to 43, Ukrainian police said, as rescuers kept searching the ruins of a school building in Komyshuvakha.

That updated Wednesday's toll of 40. Up to 33 people could still be beneath the rubble, regional police said, and 59 people were still listed as missing.

At least nine aerial bombs, each weighing 3,000kg, struck the village on Monday as residents gathered for humanitarian aid, regional head Mykhailo Semikin said. The aid centre, housed in a school that had been closed to students because the village sits close to the front line, collapsed. Among the dead are two rescuers and four police officers, the state emergencies service said.

A double-tap strike, Kyiv says

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian aircraft first dropped bombs on the school just as residents were arriving, then struck a second time on the shelter where people were taking cover. He called the attack "utterly horrific" and a "vile terrorist strike".

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said local authorities had publicly announced the distribution the previous day, for 10am to noon. "Dozens were killed while civilians gathered to receive humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha — the timing and location of the humanitarian distribution were well publicized," said Danielle Bell, head of the mission.

Russia's account differs

Russia's defence ministry said its forces targeted Ukrainian military units near Komyshuvakha and two other settlements, claiming as many as 25 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed. It has not publicly commented on the civilian casualties reported by Kyiv.

The bombing was followed on Tuesday by a major Russian assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which knocked three of five thermal power plants offline. Mr Zelenskyy has appealed for stronger international support and additional air defences.

Sources: National Security Journal, Putin just shocked the world — the Russian military is now bombing humanitarian aid centers in Ukraine, 5 November 2026; Al Jazeera, Russian bombing of Ukrainian aid centre kills 24 people, Zelenskyy, 2 November 2026.