Thirty-seven people have died and nearly 400 have been evacuated after a Russian drone strike hit a weapons depot near a residential area on the outskirts of Kyiv. The strike occurred late on Friday, causing shells, mines, and drones to detonate, which damaged nearby properties, including a care home for the elderly and disabled, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. He stated that the storage site 'definitely shouldn't have been there' and announced an investigation into 'terrible negligence' regarding the storage of explosives near populated areas.
The attack is the second incident involving a munitions depot near Kyiv in recent months, leading to renewed public anger. Four children are among the 42 individuals reported injured in the explosion, as rescue operations continued in the Bucha district on Saturday. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces targeted 'an ammunition depot' in Myla, a village west of Kyiv, which was reportedly holding components and launch boosters for long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
The explosion damaged approximately 130 homes in the village. Local resident Liubov Pavlenko, 45, described her home as having cracks around the entire perimeter and windows, indicating compromised structural integrity. She expressed her emotional distress, stating, 'I'm still kind of numb.'
Zelensky condemned the decision to store explosives in the village as 'absolutely unacceptable' and confirmed that criminal proceedings have been initiated regarding official negligence. The office of Ukraine's prosecutor general is reviewing the legality of storing explosive materials near residential buildings in Myla, and the actions of officials involved will be investigated.
Zelensky emphasized that regulations prohibit the storage of ammunition near homes, referencing a previous strike on an ammunition warehouse in Vyshneve in July that resulted in nine deaths and extensive property damage. The recent explosion has raised concerns about the safety of munitions storage locations, particularly given the frequency of Russian aerial attacks. Borys Daniyluk, a local resident, questioned why ammunition was stored so close to populated areas.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky expressed regret that lessons had not been learned from past incidents, highlighting failings in compliance with storage regulations. Zelensky noted that the Myla depot was operated by Ukraine's armed forces, and Koretsky called for accountability for those responsible for the situation.
In related incidents, a 14-year-old was killed in a separate attack in the Boryspil district, and a two-year-old died after a Russian drone crash in Obolonskyi. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that five people were injured in new strikes on the capital on Saturday morning. Over the past day, five fatalities were reported across the country. Zelensky also reported overnight strikes in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, while the Ukrainian army claimed to have shot down 233 Russian drones.
Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified aerial attacks recently, with Ukraine targeting Russian economic sites. An investigation is underway regarding the storage of ammunition at the warehouse near Kyiv. In Russia, local officials reported two fatalities and 25 injuries from strikes in the Belgorod and Rostov regions. The Moscow-appointed governor of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region reported injuries from a Ukrainian strike on a shopping center, while Russian online retailer Ozon reported damage to its logistics centers from Ukrainian drone strikes.