Russia threatens mass strikes on Ukraine energy sites as Kyiv depot death toll hits 38

Russia has raised the stakes in the ongoing war by threatening large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, escalating a cycle of retaliatory attacks that has seen some of the deadliest strikes inside Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began over four years ago. The warning came as Kyiv reported a death toll of 38 from a Russian drone strike on a munitions depot near the capital, underscoring the intensifying violence and the humanitarian toll on civilians.

The Russian defence ministry announced on Telegram that its armed forces were preparing “massive strikes” on Ukraine’s energy sites, framing the move as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. The warning revived memories of last winter’s devastating Russian bombardment of Ukrainian power plants, which left millions without heat or electricity during sub-zero temperatures. Moscow’s latest threat signals a potential return to such large-scale infrastructure attacks, raising concerns about further humanitarian crises.

The strike in Ukraine that killed 38 people occurred in the village of Myla, within the Bucha district near Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the rising death toll on Sunday, noting that 20 people were injured and four remain missing. Zelensky described the contamination in the area as “significant” as emergency crews worked to extinguish fires and bomb disposal teams cleared the site. The detonation triggered secondary explosions that damaged around 50 buildings and forced the evacuation of more than 380 residents.

Among the dead was Taras Didych, the mayor of the nearby village of Dmytrivka, marking one of the deadliest single incidents in Kyiv’s suburbs since Russia’s invasion began. Ukrainian prosecutors have launched a criminal negligence investigation to determine why explosives were stored so close to residential areas. The strike was part of a third consecutive day of sustained Russian aerial bombardment, one of the most intense periods since spring.

Russia’s military also targeted a cement and asbestos plant in Kyiv on Sunday, alleging that its warehouses were being used to store explosives. Additionally, the Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 130 drones of various types between late Saturday and early Sunday. In response, Ukraine conducted drone strikes on the Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region, the country’s second-largest production plant, capable of processing around 20 million tonnes of crude oil annually. Local Russian authorities confirmed the attack sparked a fire.

Kyiv has increasingly targeted Russian energy and oil infrastructure—refineries, pumping stations, and storage depots—as part of a strategy aimed at pressuring Moscow economically to end the war. The escalation on both sides highlights the growing risks of further civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, with no diplomatic resolution in sight.

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