MYLA, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian drone struck a warehouse west of Kyiv, resulting in the deaths of 37 people in what has been described as the deadliest attack of the year. Ukrainian officials reported that the warehouse may have been illegally storing munitions, leading to explosions and fires that damaged numerous nearby homes and buildings. The attack occurred on Friday night in Myla, a village in the Bucha district, during a period of intensified Russian strikes in the region. Kyiv officials indicated that an unmanned vehicle hit the warehouse, although they did not specify the type of drone used.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the local regional military administration, stated that the fire from the strike damaged at least 50 residential buildings, and local media reported that 34 of the deceased were residents of a care home for the elderly and disabled. Over 370 individuals were evacuated from the area.
Local resident Oleksandr Vodolaz described the incident, stating, "At about 8 p.m., the drone hit a warehouse somewhere and then the detonation began. No one knew that weapons were stored there."
The number of fatalities from this attack surpassed the previous deadliest incident, which occurred on July 2, resulting in 31 deaths in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to the situation as "terrible" and attributed it to negligence regarding the storage of explosives near populated areas. He indicated that criminal proceedings have been initiated, emphasizing that those responsible must be held accountable.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi echoed this sentiment, referencing a previous attack on the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve that resulted in 22 deaths. He criticized the recurrence of such incidents as a failure to learn from past mistakes.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that the warehouse was storing components and launch boosters for long-range drones. Additionally, they reported attacks on the ports of Mykolaiv and Izmail, as well as a logistics center in the Kyiv region.
The drone strikes on Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine have been frequent since Thursday, with officials noting that Russia is increasing its missile stockpiles and launching major attacks regularly. In the southern Kherson region, Russian strikes resulted in two deaths and 27 injuries, including a child, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional administration.
Prokudin also urged residents to relocate to safer areas due to the potential for extended power and heating outages this winter. Ukraine's use of jet-powered drones has reportedly increased, with officials acknowledging the need to adapt to these evolving threats. Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, noted that current interceptor drones have not been as effective as hoped.
In response, Ukraine has intensified its long-range attacks on Russian military and energy facilities, aiming to disrupt Moscow's war funding. President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine aims to increase its long-range drone launches to 1,000 per day, up from the current average of over 300. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry reported the destruction of 313 Ukrainian drones overnight, and Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia's Rostov region resulted in injuries to 11 individuals, including four children.