KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Overnight attacks on critical infrastructure triggered power and water outages across Kyiv and surrounding regions Wednesday as rescuers combed through rubble in southern Ukraine, still searching for survivors three days after one of the deadliest attacks there in nearly five years of war.
On Monday, multiple Russian guided bombs had slammed into a school and shelter in the village of Komyshuvakha, near the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region. Authorities have confirmed 37 deaths and say some 38 may still be trapped.
Moscow showed no signs of letting up its aerial assaults elsewhere.
In Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, residents were urged to use public drinking water fountains, and emergency centers were being hastily set up in the worst-hit areas, offering hot tea and power points where people could charge up electrical devices.
On Tuesday, a large-scale Russian attack on power plants and substations across nine regions knocked out power in several areas in and around Kyiv. The state-owned electricity company Ukrenergo said Russia had struck energy facilities more than 20 times in 24 hours.
Talks about post-war support for Ukraine are planned in Brussels
Officials from the United States, Germany, France, Britain, NATO and the European Union were to meet later Wednesday at the European Commission’s headquarters in Brussels.
Their discussions are expected to focus on security arrangements for after the war ends, the massive reconstruction effort that will be required and also various “economic opportunities” that peace could bring.
The Brussels talks come ahead of a new round of U.S.-brokered peace negotiations next week, more than 4 1/2 years after Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor.
Search teams comb through the rubble, looking for survivors
The death toll from Monday’s strike on Komyshuvakha has risen to 37, said the acting head of the regional military administration, Mykhailo Semikin.
Earlier, he had warned that Russian drone attacks were hampering the search but that the operations would continue.
Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the regional defense council, said Wednesday that 12 bodies pulled from the rubble had been identified so far. Preliminary estimates suggested there may still be a further 38 people trapped under the rubble, he said.
It was unclear if anybody was still alive.
The National Police of Ukraine also gave the same somber figures. In a post on Telegram, police said visual identification of some of the bodies was not possible and that specialists were working with relatives of the deceased to collect DNA samples for analysis.
On Tuesday, Baptist pastor Vladyslav Makhovskyi had joined the search for survivors in the wreckage of the school and underground shelter where villagers from Komyshuvakha had sought safety.
But as the day wore on, bodies wrapped in white plastic sheets were carried from the ruins and laid in rows as smoke drifted across the shattered landscape.
“When the bombs hit, people could no longer get out," Makhovskyi told The Associated Press. “I understand that many were killed immediately. Even if some were still alive, they probably couldn’t breathe."
First lady Melania Trump honored for humanitarian support to Ukraine
Monday’s attack came after a six-day ceasefire had ended in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, more than 245 kilometers (150 miles) away to the southwest.
It was the most significant truce between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022, and allowed the evacuation of residents from the shattered remains of the city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded first lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga, 1st class — an honor awarded to women who have made an outstanding contribution to the Ukrainian state.
The U.S. first lady was recognized for her “significant personal contribution to humanitarian support for Ukraine,” including support for human rights and charitable activities aimed at helping Ukrainian children, according to a post from the presidential website.
She was credited with brokering a successful six-day ceasefire to mount a humanitarian mission to help those stranded in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region.
Moscow says it downs hundreds of drones as Ukraine strikes back at Russia
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that it shot down 709 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The major online retailer Ozon said that a drone attack caused a fire to break out at its logistics center in Adygeysk, in Russia’s Adygea region, but that there were no casualties.
Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
