A Russian drone strike on a warehouse near Myla, in Kyiv’s Bucha district, killed at least 37 people and injured 42. Ukrainian President Zelensky has ordered an investigation into potential negligence regarding ammunition storage at the site.
Devastating Drone Strike and Aftermath
A Russian drone strike on a warehouse near Myla, in Kyiv’s Bucha district, triggered a large-scale fire and multiple explosions late Friday, killing at least 37 people and injuring 42 others, including four children. Ukrainian officials reported that 50 residential buildings, a care home for the elderly and disabled, a restaurant, and a fire engine were damaged in the attack, which forced the evacuation of 381 people, including 59 children. The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 233 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight into Saturday.
Zelensky Orders Investigation into Negligence
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that criminal proceedings had been opened into potential official negligence regarding the storage of ammunition at the targeted site. “There are regulations in place – ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas,” Zelensky stated in a social media post. “Appropriate conclusions will certainly be drawn.” The prosecutor general’s office specified that its investigation would examine the legality of explosive storage at the enterprise and whether the company had obtained the necessary permits.
Regional officials reported that the warehouse was struck by a drone, triggering a detonation that spread fires to nearby homes. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, said the death toll could rise as search and rescue operations continued. Among the dead was Taras Didych, head of the Dmytrivka community, who was assisting in evacuations when the explosion occurred. Tkachenko confirmed that seven injured individuals were hospitalized, while emergency crews battled the blaze for over 12 hours.
Russia Claims Target Was Military Logistics
Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated that its forces had struck a warehouse in Myla storing components and launch boosters for FP-1/FP-2 long-range drones. The ministry also claimed to have attacked ports in Mykolaiv and Izmail, as well as a logistics center and warehouse facilities storing parts for Ukraine’s Flamingo cruise missiles in the Kyiv region. Ukrainian officials did not immediately confirm the presence of military equipment at the Myla site, though investigations into the warehouse’s contents are ongoing.
The attack followed three consecutive days of drone and missile strikes on Kyiv, with air raid sirens sounding 11 times in 24 hours. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi condemned the incident, stating that the tragedy mirrored a July explosion in Vyshneve, where an ammunition depot detonation killed 22 people and injured 29. “Unfortunately, we can already see that the terrible tragedy in Vyshneve did not become a lesson,” Koretskyi said. “In the fifth year of a full-scale invasion, making the same mistakes is criminal negligence.”
Regional Impact and Ongoing Evacuations
Emergency services reported that fires spread to seven residential buildings, a care home, and a restaurant, while the M-06 Kyiv-Chop highway was closed due to the blaze. Temporary accommodations and psychological support were provided to displaced residents, with hot meals distributed at an operational headquarters in Dmytrivka. Tkachenko noted that 300 emergency responders had been deployed to the site, and the evacuation of affected areas remained ongoing.
Ukrainian officials also reported overnight strikes in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, with Zelensky emphasizing the need for international support to counter Russian attacks. “Ukraine cannot be alone in finding solutions to protect against such strikes,” he said. In a separate development, Zelensky revealed that the United States had provided intelligence about recent meetings in Moscow, though he did not disclose further details about the attendees or discussions.