The death toll has risen to 37 after a Russian drone strike hit a weapons depot near a residential area on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said. At least 42 people were injured, including four children, while around 400 residents were evacuated from nearby areas following a series of powerful explosions.
According to the BBC, the attack took place late Friday, August 28, at a weapons depot in the village of Myla in Kyiv’s Bucha district. Following the strike, ammunition, mines and drones stored at the facility began exploding in succession, causing extensive damage to surrounding properties.
Around 130 houses in the vicinity were damaged by the blasts, according to reports. The scale of the destruction has prompted renewed questions in Ukraine over why such a large quantity of weapons and explosives was being stored so close to a residential area.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reacted strongly to the incident, saying that storing explosives so close to homes was unacceptable.
Zelenskyy said the decision to use the site for storing explosives amounted to “extremely serious negligence.” He added that an investigation had been launched into possible negligence by officials responsible for the facility.
The Ukrainian president also said that existing regulations prohibit the storage of ammunition in close proximity to residential buildings and populated areas.
Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, confirmed that its forces had targeted an ammunition depot in Myla. Russian authorities claimed the facility contained components and launch equipment for long-range unmanned drones.
The attack triggered a series of intense explosions, damaging numerous homes in the surrounding area. Approximately 400 residents were evacuated to safer locations as emergency crews responded to the incident.
The presence of four children among the injured has heightened concerns over the consequences of storing military equipment near populated areas.
Residents Describe the Devastation
Local residents have described scenes of widespread destruction following the explosions.
Lyubov Pavlenko, a 45-year-old resident who visited her home about 200 metres from the site of the attack, said the walls and windows around her property had suffered extensive damage. She also said the structural integrity of the building had been compromised.
Pavlenko said she remained deeply shocked and was still struggling to comprehend what had happened. She expressed concern that the psychological impact of the incident could become even more severe over time.
Other residents have questioned why a weapons and ammunition depot was located so close to homes despite the continuing risk of Russian air attacks around Kyiv.
The incident has also drawn comparisons with an earlier explosion near Kyiv. In July, a weapons depot in Vyshneve was reportedly struck, triggering a major blast that killed nine people, injured many others and damaged more than 280 houses.
The latest incident, occurring only a few months after the previous attack on a weapons facility near a residential area, has intensified public anger in Ukraine and renewed scrutiny of the country’s weapons-storage policies and security arrangements.
Source: BBC