At least 37 people have been killed and hundreds evacuated after a Russian drone strike hit a weapons depot near a residential area west of Kyiv, triggering explosions that damaged nearby buildings, Ukrainian officials say.
The strike occurred late on Friday in the village of Myla, in the Bucha district, where stored shells, mines and drones reportedly detonated following the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the explosions caused significant damage to surrounding properties, including a care home for elderly people and people with disabilities.
Zelensky said authorities had launched an investigation into what he described as possible “terrible negligence” involving the storage of explosive materials close to residential areas.
Investigation launched into Kyiv weapons depot
According to Zelensky, criminal proceedings have been opened over alleged official negligence.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said it was examining the legality of the placement and storage of explosive objects and materials near residential buildings in Myla.
Officials are also investigating the actions of those responsible for decisions concerning the storage facility.
Regional head Tymur Tkachenko said 42 people were injured in the incident, including four children, while rescue operations continued at the site on Saturday.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that its forces had targeted an ammunition depot in Myla.
The Russian ministry said the facility contained components and launch boosters for FP-1 and FP-2 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
More casualties reported across Ukraine
The Kyiv depot strike came amid a wider wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine.
Tkachenko said a 14-year-old child was killed in a separate attack in the Boryspil district, while Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that a two-year-old child died after a Russian drone crashed in the Obolonskyi district.
Klitschko also said five people, including an 18-year-old woman, were injured in fresh attacks on Kyiv on Saturday morning.
Local officials reported additional casualties across the country, while Zelensky said overnight strikes also targeted Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 233 Russian drones during the latest wave of attacks.
Russia reports casualties from Ukrainian strikes
Russian authorities also reported casualties following Ukrainian attacks in several regions.
Officials said two people were killed and 25 others injured in strikes in the Belgorod and Rostov regions over the previous 24 hours.
The Moscow-appointed governor of the occupied Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia said four people were injured after a Ukrainian strike hit a shopping centre.
Russian online retailer Ozon also reported that one of its logistics centres had been hit during an overnight Ukrainian drone attack.
The company said it had suspended operations at another logistics centre and evacuated employees because of security concerns in the area.
Russia-Ukraine attacks intensify
Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range attacks in recent months, with Ukrainian forces increasingly targeting Russian economic and industrial facilities.
Ukraine has also targeted facilities linked to major Russian online retailers, arguing that some companies have supplied components to Russia’s military. Moscow has denied the allegations.
The latest attacks come as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, with both sides carrying out increasingly frequent drone strikes against military, industrial and economic targets.
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