Myla, Ukraine: A Russian drone strike on an ammunition warehouse west of Kyiv triggered powerful explosions and fires that spread across the surrounding area, killing 37 people and damaging at least 50 homes and other residential structures, Ukrainian officials said, AP reported.
The attack late on Friday in Myla village, in the Bucha district, was the deadliest in Ukraine this year. It occurred during the second day of an intense three-day Russian aerial campaign that has disrupted daily life in and around the Ukrainian capital.
Russian missile and drone attacks have continued almost without pause since Thursday. Kyiv officials say Moscow appears to be stockpiling missiles before unleashing large-scale barrages every few days, seeking to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences through repeated attacks.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration, said the blast at the warehouse sent flames racing towards nearby buildings. Local media later quoted him as saying that 34 of those killed were residents of a care facility for elderly and disabled people. More than 370 people were evacuated.
Residents described scenes of confusion and panic as the explosions shook Myla.
“At about 8 p.m., the drone hit a warehouse somewhere and then the detonation began,” Oleksandr Vodolaz, a village resident, told The Associated Press. “No one knew that weapons were stored there.”
Another resident, Zhanna Kravchuk, questioned why the ammunition had been kept so close to civilian homes.
“Why are weapons like this … in warehouses and not on the front lines where they would help?” she said.
Zelenskyy Orders Probe Into Ammunition Site
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the incident a “terrible situation” and blamed what he described as “terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people.”
He said Ukrainian law prohibits the storage of ammunition near residential areas and confirmed that criminal proceedings had been initiated.
“Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions,” the president said.
In a social media post on Saturday, Zelenskyy said the first strike had hit a Ukrainian Defense Forces storage facility containing shells, mines, other ammunition and drones.
“The first strike was on an ammunition storage site that definitely shouldn’t have been there – a Defense Forces storage facility. Shells, mines, other ammunition, and drones detonated.”
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi drew comparisons with a July attack on an ammunition depot in Vyshneve, near Kyiv, which killed 22 people and caused fires and explosions in neighbouring areas.
“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. And all those guilty, without exception, must be severely punished so that such situations do not happen again.”
The death toll in Myla exceeded the 31 fatalities from the July 2 strike on Kyiv, previously the year’s deadliest attack.
Jet Drones Add To Ukraine’s Challenge
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the Myla facility held components and launch boosters for long-range drones. It also reported strikes on ports at Mykolaiv and Izmail and on sites linked to Ukraine’s Flamingo cruise missiles.
In the southern Kherson region, Russian attacks on homes and apartment buildings killed two people and wounded 27, including a child, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
Ukraine is also facing a growing threat from Russian jet-powered drones. Presidential office official Pavlo Palisa said Moscow was increasing their use because of their effectiveness.
“Means of attack always outpace means of defense. We will certainly need to adapt. It will take time,” Palisa said.
He added that Ukrainian interceptor drones had not yet proved as effective as hoped against the faster weapons.