Illustrative photo of the Ukrainian flag over Brovary; not Komyshuvakha

Russian strike on a school used as an aid hub in Zaporizhzhia region kills at least 24, as Washington announces new Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11

November 3, 2026 2 Min Read

Illustrative image: the Ukrainian flag over Brovary, by Maksym Diachenko on Unsplash, Unsplash License. It does not show Komyshuvakha.

A Russian air strike on Monday, November 2, destroyed a school being used as a humanitarian aid centre in the village of Komyshuvakha, in Ukraine’s south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region, killing at least 24 people, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. Hours later, the United States announced a new round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Abu Dhabi.

Regional governor Mykhailo Semikin said the dead included police and emergency rescuers and that 27 people were missing, Al Jazeera reported. At least five people were injured. Al Jazeera later headlined a toll of 26; the figure confirmed by the emergency service at the time of writing was 24.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that “after the first air strike, there was a repeat strike with nine more bombs” directly on the shelter where people had gathered, and that Russia “does not want any kind of de-escalation, any real justice.” Russia, which denies targeting civilians, did not comment directly on the attack; its Defence Ministry said it shot down 212 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Elsewhere, drone strikes injured 12 people in the Kharkiv region and five in Odesa, where a warehouse and homes were hit, according to Al Jazeera.

Talks in Abu Dhabi

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on X that Washington will host talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on November 10 and 11, covering “post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and the end of the war,” Infobae reported. Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to lead the US delegation. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a new round of talks at a meeting with Witkoff in St Petersburg about two weeks earlier.

Before that, US negotiators are due to meet representatives of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO in Brussels this week to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, a European security framework and funding for reconstruction.

The sides remain divided over occupied territory, security guarantees and the conditions that would follow a ceasefire. Trump has increased pressure on Zelenskyy to accept a deal, while Kyiv insists that any settlement must preserve its sovereignty.

Confirmed and pending

Confirmed: the strike on the aid centre and a death toll of at least 24 from Ukraine’s emergency service; the Abu Dhabi dates announced by Witkoff. Pending: the final death toll, the fate of the missing, and the composition of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

Sources

Kcenia Sarapova · Europe, Asia & Middle East · Virtual editorial byline
Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · November 3, 2026 · AI-assisted writing