At least 37 killed in drone attack on ammunition warehouse in Myla; Zelenskyy responds

A Russian drone struck a warehouse in an area west of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Friday night (local time), killing at least 37 people in what is being called the war's deadliest attack this year.

Russian drone strike on warehouse: Here's what we know

The drone strike on the warehouse occurred in Myla, a village in the Bucha district. Ukrainian officials stated that the warehouse was storing shells, mines and other ammunition. The blast triggered massive explosions and fires, which spread to dozens of nearby homes and buildings, AP reported Saturday (local time).

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the local regional military administration, said the warehouse strike caused fires that spread to nearby homes and damaged nearly 50 residential buildings. Local media, citing him, reported that of the 37 people killed, 34 were residents of a care home for elderly and disabled people. More than 370 people were evacuated.

The attack came on the second of three days of nearly round-the-clock strikes by Moscow that have severely disrupted life in and around the Ukrainian capital. Since Thursday (local time), Russian forces have carried out near-constant attacks on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, with officials saying Moscow is building up its missile stocks and launching massive attacks every few days in an effort to exhaust Ukraine's defences through the sheer volume of strikes.

The explosions rocked Myla, prompting people to seek cover.

Ukrainian President, PM respond to Myla strike

As rescue teams and crews worked to control the blaze, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the Friday night attack as a “terrible situation,” adding that it appeared to be the result of “terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people.”

In a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, "Since yesterday evening and throughout the day today, I have been receiving reports on the situation in the village of Myla, Kyiv region, where detonation began following a Russian strike. A terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people."

Shedding more light on the situation, the Ukrainian President wrote, "Another such crime – after what happened in Vyshneve – is absolutely unacceptable. I expect the details to be presented to the public promptly. 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. The scale is significant."

He added that the Ukrainian government had already spoken with the Prosecutor General, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Commander-in-Chief about an investigation.

Separately, Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi also reacted to the Friday strikes. While he did not specify what ammunition was stored in the warehouse, he referred to a July attack on Vyshneve, where an ammunition depot was targeted, killing 22 people and setting off a series of explosions and fires that damaged nearby homes.

He said, "Unfortunately, we can already see that the terrible tragedy in Vyshneve did not become a lesson," and added, "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.”

Russia's response to warehouse strike in Myla

The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that it had targeted a warehouse in Myla that was storing components and launch boosters for long-range drones. It further said that the ports of Mykolaiv and Izmail, a logistics center, and warehouse facilities storing components for the country's Flamingo cruise missiles were also targeted.

The strikes come at a time when the two sides are intensifying their air defences, with no end in sight to the nearly five-year-old war.

(with AP inputs)