Two Ukrainian police officers die after Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia
Two Ukrainian police officers, Oleg Dubetsky and Serhiy Berezhko, died in hospital on November 4 after a Russian drone struck their service vehicle near Komyshuvakha on November 1. Both suffered severe injuries, and each had served in the police for more than 20 years. By November 4, 40 deaths were reported from the broader attack on Komyshuvakha, including four law-enforcement officers.
Key points
- A Russian drone struck a police service vehicle near Komyshuvakha on November 1.
- Police Major Oleg Dubetsky and Police Major Serhiy Berezhko suffered severe injuries.
- Both officers died in hospital on November 4 after doctors fought for their lives for several days.
- Dubetsky headed the duty unit of police department No. 4 in Orikhiv, while Berezhko was its deputy head for preventive activities.
- Each officer had served in the police for more than 20 years.
- By November 4, the broader strike in Komyshuvakha had reportedly killed 40 people, including four law-enforcement officers.
Why it matters
The deaths were a direct result of a Russian drone strike on a Ukrainian police vehicle. Dubetsky and Berezhko survived the initial attack for several days but succumbed to their injuries, becoming two of four law-enforcement officers reported killed in the broader assault on Komyshuvakha.
What happened
On November 1, a Russian drone struck a police service vehicle near Komyshuvakha in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Police Major Oleg Dubetsky, who headed the duty unit of police department No. 4 of the Polohy district police department in Orikhiv, and Police Major Serhiy Berezhko, the unit's deputy head for preventive activities, sustained severe injuries. Doctors fought for their lives for several days, but both officers died in hospital on November 4. The National Police confirmed their deaths.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reports identify the officers by name, rank, unit, length of service, and the circumstances of the strike. The coverage also connects their deaths to the wider attack on Komyshuvakha, including a reported strike on an underground school during the distribution of humanitarian aid, and emphasizes the official police confirmation of the deaths.
How international sources describe it
International reporting likewise documented the drone strike, the officers' severe injuries, and their deaths in hospital several days later. It identifies Dubetsky and Berezhko as senior police officers and notes that each had served for more than 20 years.
Background
Dubetsky led the duty unit of police department No. 4 of the Polohy district police department in Orikhiv, while Berezhko was deputy head of the same territorial unit for preventive activities. Besides striking the police vehicle, Russian aircraft reportedly dropped nine aerial bombs on an underground school in Komyshuvakha that was being used as a point of resilience.