Kyiv seeks answers over 38 deaths in Russian strike on arms depot

The death toll from a Russian strike on an ammunition depot in Ukraine’s Kyiv region has climbed to 38, with four people still missing, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday. The attack, the deadliest Russian strike in the Kyiv area this year, occurred late Friday as Moscow escalated its aerial campaign against Ukraine’s capital, with additional strikes reported over the weekend. The explosion targeted a military facility storing artillery shells, mines, drones, and other ammunition, according to Ukrainian officials.

Emergency responders managed to contain most fires, but authorities warned of significant contamination in the area, pledging to continue cleanup efforts. Zelenskyy shared video footage on Telegram showing firefighters battling flames and clearing debris from damaged buildings. Over the past week, Russia has launched nearly 2,000 strike drones, more than 1,600 aerial bombs, and 31 missiles—including North Korean ballistic missiles—into Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in an address.

Overnight Saturday, thick plumes of black smoke billowed over Kyiv’s western suburbs as videos from Ukraine’s rescue services showed homes near the blast site engulfed in flames. The attack marked the second strike on a munitions depot near Kyiv in less than two months, prompting criticism over the storage of military supplies in proximity to residential areas. Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range strikes in recent months, driving civilian casualties to their highest levels since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Zelenskyy condemned what he described as “horrific negligence,” emphasizing that ammunition should never be stored near homes. Ukrainian prosecutors have opened a criminal negligence investigation, focusing on whether the facility in the town of Myla had proper permits for storing explosives and whether safety regulations were violated. The prosecutor’s office confirmed that a large fire and subsequent detonations erupted after a drone struck the enterprise’s grounds on August 28.

Kyiv regional Governor Tymur Tkachenko confirmed that the mayor of Dmytrivka, a nearby town, was among the fatalities. Residents described the explosion as terrifying, recounting panic and confusion as they mistook the detonation for an incoming bomb. Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky criticized repeated failures in munitions storage, pointing to a July strike that revealed compliance lapses by a state-owned company. “Making the same mistakes over and over is criminal negligence,” he stated, calling for severe punishment of those responsible.

The blast forced hundreds of residents to evacuate and damaged multiple homes, including a care facility for elderly and disabled people. Ukrainian officials have vowed to hold accountable those whose decisions contributed to the tragedy, as the investigation into the incident continues.

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