Two police majors die after Russian drone strike near Komyshuvakha

Two police officers seriously wounded when a Russian drone hit their vehicle near Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia Oblast have died in hospital. Oleh Dubetskyi and Serhii Berezhko were injured on 1 November and died on 4 November despite efforts by doctors to save them, according to regional National Police chief Artem Kysko.

Both men were police majors and colleagues at the Polohy District Police Department in Orikhiv. Dubetskyi headed the duty unit at Police Station No. 4. Berezhko served as deputy head with responsibility for preventive policing. Following the attack, both were taken to hospital, where they spent the next few days receiving treatment for their injuries.

Announcing their deaths, Kysko said each officer had dedicated more than 20 years to police service. He described careers involving demanding duties, dozens of assignments and responsibility for other people's lives. Paying tribute to the two colleagues, he said: "Words cannot convey the pain of this loss."

The attack on their vehicle preceded a separate Russian bombardment in Komyshuvakha on 2 November. Guided aerial bombs struck a school while humanitarian aid was being handed out there. After the first strike, local residents, police and State Emergency Service personnel arrived to assist those affected by the attack.

A further strike followed, with nine bombs hitting a shelter where people had sought refuge. Footage recorded by a police officer's body camera captured events before that second attack, including officers searching through the school ruins and directing people towards shelter because of the threat from FPV drones.

As officers searched the damaged school, they urged people to go down into the shelter to avoid being targeted by drones. Reports then arrived that another wave of guided aerial bombs had been launched. Those at the scene rushed inside. A loud explosion was heard later in the recording, which then ended abruptly.

By 4 November, the confirmed death toll in Komyshuvakha stood at 40, with police officers and rescue workers among those killed. Another 30 local residents were feared to remain beneath the rubble. Search and rescue efforts were continuing, while uncertainty remained over the fate of those who might still be trapped.