Four police officers and two rescue workers killed by Russia in Komyshuvakha – photos
Russian forces bombed a school used to distribute humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia Oblast on 2 November. For now it is known that 29 people have been killed, including police officers, rescue workers, Administrative Services Centre (ASC) staff and local residents.
Source: National Police of Ukraine; State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine
Details: Three-tonne high-explosive aerial bombs cut short the lives of Police Majors Mykhailo Buzhenko and Mykola Balanda and Police Captains Mykhailo Romanov and Dmytro Biesiedin. During the attack, they were helping local residents get to the shelter, which was the underground school.
Mykhailo Buzhenko served as a senior district police officer of the prevention sector of police department No. 1 of the Zaporizhzhia District Police Department. Mykhailo dedicated 21 years of his life to law enforcement service.
Mykola Balanda was a senior detective of the criminal police sector of police department No. 2. Mykola served in the police for 23 years.
Mykhailo Romanov and Dmytro Biesiedin worked as community police officers of the same unit. For over 10 years, they ensured public order in various settlements of the district.
Quote from the National Police: "Three of them were forced to leave their homes due to the occupation of part of the oblast, but continued their service and stayed close to the population of other frontline communities... What remains for us is the memory of our colleagues and their unfinished work, which we must carry on."
Details: Kateryna Lytvyn, writer from Komyshuvakha, shared on social media that she knew two of the fallen police officers personally.
Quote from Kateryna: "These guys went on duty in frontline villages almost from the very beginning of the war. They evacuated injured civilians, detained looters, cleared rubble…
Komyshuvakha is the settlement where I was born. Once a small peaceful village, now a cemetery and ruins…"
Details: Rescue workers Denys Konovalenko and Oleksii Sushchevskyi were also killed in the attack. Both were 44 years old.
Denys dedicated almost 12 years to working in the State Emergency Service and Oleksii served in the fire and rescue units of Zaporizhzhia for over 13 years.
Both received the For the Defence of Ukraine presidential award. Oleksii was also awarded the medal Defender of the Motherland.
Quote from SES: "Every day they went out to help people, worked in dangerous conditions and risked their own lives to save others.
Today, their families are dealing with an irreparable loss. Wives have lost a husband and four children lost their father: 18-year-old and 19-year-old sons and 12-year-old and 8-year-old daughters."
Details: Regional media outlet Suspilne. Zaporizhzhia reported that among those killed is ASC employee Olha Tverdenko. Every Monday she travelled to Komyshuvakha, sorting and providing humanitarian aid (bread and grocery kits) to the people remaining in the settlement.
The publication added that the head of the humanitarian headquarters, Tetiana Ivanivna, was also killed, as well as Nataliia Karapetian, the wife of the head of the Komyshuvakha community, Yurii Karapetian, and a mother of three children.
"I feel very sorry for Nataliia Anatoliivna. She and Yurii did a lot for Komyshuvakha. They rode bicycles and helped people and always stood up for their fellow villagers," a local resident told the ZaBor regional publication.
Background:
- The Russians attacked the centre of Komyshuvakha with at least nine FAB-3000 guided aerial bombs. The strikes occurred in two waves. It was during the second wave, when the police and the SES arrived at the scene, that the Russians hit the shelter.
- Search and rescue operations are underway at the site. Currently, 48 people are considered missing.
This story is developing, we'll bring you the latest updates as they happen.
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