Russian drone strike on Kyiv munitions depot kills 37 as Ukraine investigates storage rules

Strike on Myla defense depot

A Russian drone strike on Friday evening struck a defense storage warehouse in the village of Myla, situated within the Bucha district west of Kyiv. The strike hit the facility at approximately 20:10 local time on 28 August, causing an extensive fire and violent secondary explosions across the surrounding area. Online footage and media recordings documented an initial blast followed by secondary detonations that scattered flames and shrapnel in all directions. Journalists in the western suburbs of Kyiv reported a dense column of black smoke rising over the site as firefighters worked to contain the burning facility. By Saturday afternoon, regional military administration head Timur Tkachenko confirmed that the death toll in the Bucha district had increased from an initial count of 27 to at least 37 people. Among those killed in the blast was Taras Didych, the mayor of the neighboring Dmytrivka community.

Civilian damage and negligence investigation

The explosion damaged surrounding infrastructure, including multi-story apartment buildings, a retirement home, and a center for individuals with disabilities. Emergency workers initially evacuated more than 200 people overnight and reported six wounded individuals before the total number of evacuees reached more than 370 on Saturday morning. In response to the high civilian toll, Ukrainian prosecutors opened a criminal negligence investigation into the legality of storing military explosives at the site and whether the managing enterprise held proper permits. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky stated that authorities had failed to apply lessons from a July incident in Vyshneve, where an investigation found a state enterprise had improperly maintained a munitions site near homes.

Repeating the same mistakes over and over again, in the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, is criminal negligence.

Government response to storage violations

Ukrainian leadership confirmed that military materiel should not have been concentrated in a populated suburban zone. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Telegram that the site was a defense forces depot housing shells, landmines, attack drones, and general ammunition. Zelensky stated that those who permitted the storage of hazardous ordnance near homes would be held accountable under official regulations.

There are regulations, ammunition cannot be stored near housing or other residential areas.

Nationwide overnight strikes

The depot explosion occurred during a broader overnight aerial offensive across Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russian forces launched at least two missiles and 267 attack drones, with air defense units successfully intercepting 233 of the unmanned aircraft. Additional Russian strikes on Saturday killed one person in the Odesa region, one in Boryspil on the outskirts of Kyiv, and one within the capital city itself. Across the border, Ukrainian cross-border attacks killed three people in Russia's Belgorod region and ignited a fire at a warehouse owned by the e-commerce retailer Ozon.

Diplomatic tensions in the Black Sea

Maritime hostilities in the Black Sea prompted diplomatic friction between Ankara and Kyiv on Saturday. The Turkish foreign ministry summoned Ukraine's ambassador in Ankara following attacks on 26 and 27 August against a Turkish vessel and a second boat sent to tow it. In a formal statement, Turkish officials issued warnings regarding the necessity of safeguarding navigation, commercial property, human life, and the maritime environment in the Black Sea corridor.