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More than 30 people were killed as a result of Russian airstrikes on the village of Kamyshevakha in the Zaporozhye region on the morning of November 2, and more than 45 people are still missing.
“The majority of the victims of this Russian strike are civilians who came for humanitarian aid and those who already came to their aid after the first strike,” the Ukrainian National Police said in a statement.
“The scale of the tragedy is terrible,” said the head of the regional military administration, Mikhail Semikin. “Search and rescue operations are continuing at the site.”
The Russian military did not comment on the strike on Kamyshevakha.
Destroy, complicate, prepare conditions
The defeat of the civilian humanitarian aid distribution point cannot be explained by military necessity. There is no reliable evidence that this facility was used by the Ukrainian military.
There are no large military or industrial facilities in Kamyshevakha, but it is of great military importance as an element of the defensive and transport system on the approaches to Zaporozhye.
The village is located approximately 30 km southeast of the regional center on an important route along which communications with the forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces pass - traffic, supplies and evacuation take place.
In addition, Kamyshevakha is located in the near rear zone of both the Orekhovsky and Stepnogorsk sectors of the front, both of which serve as important borders on the way to Zaporozhye. The built-up area of the village, buildings and engineering structures can be used to accommodate personnel, shelter equipment and organize defense.
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The Russian army is seeking to destroy such infrastructure in front-line settlements.
Kamyshevakha was bombed several times; in 2026 alone, at least five powerful air attacks were recorded, including a strike on November 2.
On January 22, Russian aviation dropped four guided high-explosive bombs on the village. One person was killed, ten were injured, and residential buildings and other objects were damaged.
On June 15, 2026, Russian drones attacked the school area in Kamyshevakha, where the Proliska humanitarian mission was working. Five FPV drones were reported, four of which exploded near a humanitarian aid station. Four civilians were injured, and volunteer vehicles were damaged by shrapnel. After this, the humanitarian mission decided to stop delivering aid to the village and focus on evacuating residents.
In August 2026, Russian guided bombs destroyed residential buildings in Kamyshevakha.
On October 28, Kamyshevakha was mentioned among 13 settlements in Zaporozhye, which were hit by Russian troops with aircraft and multiple launch rocket systems. On that day, 849 Russian attacks by various means of destruction were recorded throughout the region.
In March 2026, a representative of the Defense Forces of southern Ukraine, Vladislav Voloshin, named the main targets of Russian attacks on front-line cities in the Zaporozhye region. According to him, Russian troops are trying:
At that time, Russian assault groups were trying to advance in the area of Maly Shcherbaki and Shcherbakov, approximately 20 km south of Kamyshevakha. Seven months later, the situation in this area has not fundamentally changed.
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What weapons are used
According to the Ukrainian side, controlled air bombs, FPV drones, attack drones, as well as rocket and cannon artillery are used to strike Kamyshevakha and other populated areas.
The head of the Zaporozhye regional military administration, Mikhail Semikin, claims that the main blow to the center of Kamyshevakha on November 2 was delivered by FAB-3000 guided bombs.
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Initially, this bomb was designed as a free-fall bomb to be dropped from heavy bombers. In modern conditions, it is equipped with planning and correction modules, which allows it to be dropped from a considerable distance without entering the air defense coverage area.
This is one of the most powerful aircraft munitions, its total weight is approximately 3 tons, and its explosive mass is about 1,400 kg. FAB-3000 is designed for the destruction of reinforced concrete shelters and structures.
Until now, only the Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic bomber has been used as a carrier of such heavy landmines. However, it is possible that Russian aviation could strike Kamyshevakha with lighter ones - one and a half ton or half ton FABs, the destructive effect of which can also be enormous.
At the same time, intensive bombing in itself does not mean that the Russian army is preparing for a breakthrough in this area. In any case, there are no signs of troop concentration and preparation for a major operation south of Zaporozhye, although pressure and attempts to infiltrate small assault groups there continue.
It is possible that Russian strikes have not only a direct military component - to create conditions for the advance of Russian troops towards Orekhov and Zaporozhye, but also the effect of destroying a front-line settlement, displacing the remaining residents from it and complicating the work of civilian infrastructure.
* The Russian authorities included Ilya Abishev in the register of “foreign agents”. The BBC strongly objects to this decision and is challenging it in court.
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