Death toll in Komyshuvakha aid center attack rises to 53

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Friday that his government is demanding specific, written security guarantees from Western allies to define postwar support mechanisms. The remarks followed two days of negotiations in Brussels and precede trilateral peace talks scheduled for next week in Abu Dhabi.

Zelenskyy told Ukraine’s 1+1 television network late Thursday that the focus must be on the outcome of potential future conflicts. He asked for clarity on who would act, with what resources, and when if Russia launched a new offensive. The Ukrainian leader noted that the recent midterm elections in the United States, which gave Democrats control of Congress, could improve the prospects for additional American military aid, including Patriot missile interceptors.

Davyd Arakhamia, head of the parliamentary faction for Zelenskyy’s party, told reporters in Washington that he expects American financial and general support to at least double under the new Congress. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump met with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Washington on Thursday. Trump described an upcoming agreement as large and potentially involving all of Europe, though he provided few details.

The European Commission hosted the first day of the Brussels talks on Wednesday. European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said that while the EU looks forward to seeing results, significant work remains. She emphasized the need for Russia to show a willingness to end the conflict it initiated.

The Kremlin responded with caution on Friday. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow has not yet received specific ideas from Europe regarding security guarantees. He criticized European leaders for indecisiveness and a lack of clarity on who is authorized to speak for the bloc.

On the ground, the death toll from a Russian guided bomb strike on a former school serving as an aid distribution center in Komyshuvakha rose to 53. Mykhailo Semikin, the acting head of the regional military administration, confirmed the updated figure as rescuers recovered more bodies from the rubble. Ten guided bombs destroyed the facility in the village in southeast Ukraine, leaving several dozen people missing.

Russian forces launched 227 attack drones overnight into Friday, according to the Ukrainian air force. Air defenses intercepted or suppressed 196 of them. The Energy Ministry reported extensive power outages in seven regions, with the Kyiv area experiencing the most severe damage. Bulgarian authorities also located and destroyed a Russian Gerbera-2 drone in the Black Sea near the country's northern coast.