Russian drone strike on Kyiv-area arms depot kills 37 in deadliest attack of the year

At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike on a Ukrainian arms depot near Kyiv triggered a chain of explosions late on Friday, in the deadliest Russian attack in the Kyiv area this year.

The strike hit a military facility in the village of Myla, in the Bucha district west of the capital, setting off blasts that forced hundreds of residents to evacuate and caused “significant damage” to nearby homes and a care facility for elderly and disabled people, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Among the dead was the mayor of the nearby town of Dmytrivka, Kyiv region governor Tymur Tkachenko said on Telegram, adding that the death toll could rise. Dozens were injured and more than 370 people were evacuated from the area.

Zelensky blamed the disaster on “horrific negligence”, saying the depot — owned by the Ukrainian military and storing drones, shells and other munitions — should never have been sited so close to homes. “Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions,” he said in a video address, adding that criminal investigations into official negligence had been launched. “Ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas.”

It was the second Russian strike in less than two months to detonate a munitions depot near Kyiv. Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky said a “lesson” had not been learned since the previous incident in July, which prompted an investigation into a state-owned company for violating rules on proximity to residential buildings.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched at least 267 drones and two missiles at Ukraine between late Friday and early Saturday. Separate Russian attacks also killed three other people, including a two-year-old child and a 14-year-old girl, while Ukrainian strikes killed three people in Russia’s Belgorod region.

Sources

• Reuters (via RNZ): “Russian strike on Kyiv-area ammunition depot triggers blast, killing 37” — https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/1175687/russian-strike-on-kyiv-area-ammunition-depot-triggers-blast-killing-37
• The Daily Star: “37 killed as Russian strike blows up arms depot near Kyiv” — https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/news/37-killed-russian-strike-blows-arms-depot-near-kyiv-4259866
• The Times of Israel (Reuters): “37 killed in Ukraine after Russian attack sparks fire at warehouse near Kyiv” — https://www.timesofisrael.com/37-killed-in-ukraine-after-russian-attack-sparks-fire-at-warehouse-near-kyiv/
• The News PK: “Russian strike blows up arms depot near Kyiv, killing 37” — https://www.thenews.pk/print/1434686-russian-strike-blows-up-arms-depot-near-kyiv-killing-37