Ukraine's national police have released bodycam footage that they say captures the horrifying moments between two Russian bomb strikes that killed at least 40 people at an aid centre and a shelter in the southern village of Komyshuvakha (also spelled Kamyshuvakha). The video, recorded by a police officer who was among those killed, shows residents walking through rubble after the initial strike on Monday before seeking refuge in an underground shelter that was hit minutes later.
Video Shows Chaos and Warning
The footage begins with shocked locals surveying the devastation from the first bomb, which damaged buildings and left debris scattered across the area. A military official's voice is heard over a two-way radio warning ground police of more incoming glide bombs. One officer urgently tells residents to get to the shelter, which was at least two floors underground. Seconds later, a blast is heard and flames are seen as the shelter is struck, and the recording abruptly ends.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that nine aerial bombs were dropped on the village. "First, they hit people who came to receive humanitarian aid, and then rescuers and police officers who arrived at the scene," he wrote on social media. He added that more than 30 people may still be trapped under the rubble, as rescue operations continued for a third day.
Search Efforts Continue
The shelter, located near a school used for aid distribution, was completely destroyed, leaving a massive crater. Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS) has also released footage showing the aftermath. BBC Verify has confirmed that the bodycam video was filmed at the same location as the DSNS footage.
Zelensky criticized the international response, saying there has been "very little reaction from the world to this insane attack," and described it as another of the "thousands" of war crimes committed by Russia. The Russian military has not commented on the allegations.
The attack is part of the ongoing conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The use of double-tap strikes, where a second attack targets first responders, has been reported in other conflicts and is considered a war crime under international law.
