Russian drone strike on Kyiv depot kills 37 and triggers evacuation
A Russian drone hit a depot near Kyiv, causing a deadly blaze, sparking evacuations and a probe into illegal ammunition storage.
Russian drone debris fell on a storage site on the western edge of Kyiv during the early hours of Saturday, igniting a massive fire and a series of explosions. At least 37 people were confirmed dead and hundreds were forced to leave their homes as emergency crews battled the inferno.
The site, located in the town of Myla, appeared to be holding "explosive objects" according to the prosecutor’s office. Ukrainian prosecutors said the blast erupted around 20:10 GMT, setting off a large‑scale fire that also damaged nearby residential blocks and a care home for the elderly and disabled.
Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions... ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas.
Details of the attack
Authorities identified the target as an enterprise in Myla, a settlement on Kyiv’s western outskirts. The prosecutor‑general’s office described the incident as an unmanned aerial vehicle striking the premises, followed by detonations that ripped through the stored munitions. The exact nature of the facility, whether military or civilian, has not been disclosed.
Legal and political fallout
Sergiy Koretsky, Ukraine’s prime minister, expressed frustration, noting that a similar tragedy occurred in July when a state‑owned company failed to keep ammunition away from residential zones. He called the repeated lapses "criminal negligence" and urged that anyone responsible face severe punishment.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, echoed the call for accountability, insisting that the storage of ammunition near homes is unacceptable. The prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal negligence investigation, focusing on whether the depot had the necessary permits and whether the owner complied with safety regulations.
The attack adds to a pattern of Russian long‑range strikes on civilian infrastructure, raising concerns about the safety of densely populated suburbs and the capacity of local authorities to enforce storage rules.
