Russian drone strikes rescue site as death toll reaches 55

Monday guided bomb attack kills 55

At least 55 people died last Monday in Komyshuvakha after multiple Russian guided bombs struck a site where people were waiting for humanitarian aid.

Three local residents killed in the attack were buried near the fallen officers in a section of the Zaporizhzhia cemetery where a memorial is planned.

Search for missing and DNA identification

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, stated that about 50 people remain missing following the attack on Monday. DNA analysis is currently being conducted to identify many of the bodies recovered from the site.

A report on Facebook claims the death toll from the attack is 31, with dozens missing and at least one person injured.

Local resident Mykola Krasnov, 72, said he is searching for his wife who went to collect humanitarian aid before the bombing on Monday.

Zelenskyy condemns cynicism of double-tap strikes

President Zelenskyy described the targeting of emergency crews in Komyshuvakha as "absolute cynicism and brutality" in a post on X. He warned that "unfortunately, more people may still be under the rubble". On Sunday, Zelenskyy stated that Moscow used an FPV drone to strike the village where rescue operations have been ongoing for seven days.

Zelenskyy urged the European Union to impose a 22nd package of sanctions against Russia. He suggested that international partners should target missile production lines.

Energy infrastructure and nuclear power plant outages

Russian airstrikes targeting energy infrastructure left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without electricity on Sunday. Moscow has intensified its military attacks as winter nears, resulting in power outages in Kyiv and other regions as temperatures fall.

A Russian attack on energy infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk region left over 600,000 people without power, with other regions also facing outages.

Management stated the plant was forced to rely on backup diesel generators.

Russian casualties and drone strike in Kursk

This incident follows reports that one individual died in western Russia after being struck by a Ukrainian drone.

Hacker groups Silent Crow and Cyberpartisans BY claimed to have breached the Russian state statistics agency, Rosstat. They estimated that total Russian military casualties since the invasion of Ukraine range from 393,000 to 450,000 deaths.

Russian claims on cargo vessels

The Russian defence ministry claimed its forces hit three cargo vessels carrying military goods for Ukraine. Moscow alleged that one container ship delivered dual-use cargo and a third vessel, struck south-west of Odesa, carried weapons and military equipment.

Russia also reported strikes on two electricity substations that supplied the Ukrainian defence industry. Reuters reported that it could not independently verify these claims regarding the strikes on the cargo vessels.

Upcoming diplomatic talks in Abu Dhabi

Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates. These talks are aimed at ending the war.

France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that European representatives will participate in these US-mediated discussions. Barrot told the radio station RTL that France will be represented at the Abu Dhabi meetings, although he did not name the specific delegate.

Targeting of emergency personnel

Russian forces have targeted emergency workers who were conducting rescue missions. A Russian drone struck a former school and shelter in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia, where emergency crews were working.

This incident reflects a broader pattern of Russian forces striking rescue personnel.