42 bodies recovered as Ukraine and Russia trade attacks

Forty-two bodies have been recovered from the wreckage in Komyshuvakha, Ukraine, after Russian guided bombs struck a former school and a nearby shelter on Monday. Rescue teams continued searching Thursday for more than 30 people believed to be trapped in the debris. The attack occurred near the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region and is considered one of the deadliest strikes in the area since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly five years ago. Ukrainian national police are using DNA samples from relatives to identify some of the victims.

The latest violence coincided with the start of reconstruction talks in Brussels. Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, confirmed that discussions would continue for a second day at NATO headquarters. Participants included officials from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the European Union, and NATO. The World Bank and the U.S. investment group BlackRock also attended. Umerov stated that the group discussed threats from Russia to Ukraine and Europe, as well as joint steps to counter them. NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said the representatives would meet again to discuss a just and sustainable end to the war.

Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Russian targets overnight. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its forces shot down 496 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions, the Crimean Peninsula, and the Black and Azov Seas. More than 200 of these drones targeted the Ryazan region southeast of Moscow. Local governor Pavel Malkov said one person was wounded and falling debris damaged power lines. A fire broke out at an industrial site, and Russian media later reported a blaze at the Ryazan oil refinery. A warehouse for the Russian retail company Wildberries was also damaged.

Russian strikes hit Ukrainian soil overnight and into early Thursday. Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 105 of 128 Russian attack drones. Russian drones struck six areas in the Dnipropetrovsk region, wounding three people in the city of Dnipro. Regional administrator Oleksandr Hanzha said infrastructure, residential homes, and garages were damaged. A separate Russian attack on logistics infrastructure west of Kyiv caused a fire and wounded a man, according to the State Emergency Service.

In the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, a Ukrainian attack killed five people and wounded 13 others. Leonid Pasechnik, the region’s Moscow-backed leader, said the strike hit a bus traveling between the regional capital and a nearby town. He noted that two teenagers were among the wounded. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a 90-minute conversation with U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner late Wednesday. Zelenskyy said the negotiations must move forward at full throttle to bring the war to an end as quickly as possible.

Zelenskyy expressed hope in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF that the Democratic landslide in the U.S. midterm elections could usher in a new era of support for Ukraine. He stated that he has support from both parties and is grateful to the Republicans. He added that the Democrats speak of renewing ties between the U.S. and Europe, which he said is very important. Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are due to meet in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in the coming days for talks aimed at ending the war.