A CNN investigation reveals how a Russian bunker-buster bomb killed dozens inside a shelter in Ukraine.

(CNN) - An underground shelter in southern Ukraine, which was housing civilians gathered to obtain food and humanitarian aid, turned into the site of one of the bloodiest Russian attacks since the outbreak of the war, after it was targeted with a huge bomb designed to penetrate fortifications, killing more than 50 people.

An investigation conducted by CNN, based on exclusive footage obtained from the Ukrainian authorities, field evidence, and eyewitness testimonies, reveals new details indicating that Russian forces used the “double strike” tactic, by launching a second attack after the rescue teams arrived and the population responded to the first strike.

The attack, which occurred on November 2, resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people, making it recorded as the deadliest Russian attack in Ukraine in 2026, and one of the deadliest attacks since the outbreak of the war.

The victims had gathered at the site to receive food and humanitarian aid, while a number of them sought shelter in search of safety after the area was subjected to a previous strike.

CNN's investigation, which was based on police body camera recordings, ammunition remnants, eyewitness testimonies, and geo-verified video clips, indicates that the attack was carried out according to a tactic known as a "double strike", which involves launching a second strike shortly after the first.

The second strike came after emergency teams arrived to respond to the first bombing, and after the village residents took shelter in an underground school that had been converted into a community center.

The Kumishovakha village council had announced, through two posts on the Telegram application the day before the attack, the distribution of bread and personal hygiene supplies at the school, between ten in the morning and noon.

The school is located about 16 kilometers from the front line, and has become a lifeline for hundreds of residents who remained in the area, as it was used as a center for distributing aid, providing medical and social services, as well as providing overnight shelter.