KYIV, Ukraine / August 29, 2026 / At least 37 people have been killed and dozens injured after a Russian drone struck an ammunition storage site near Kyiv, triggering powerful secondary explosions and a massive fire that tore through nearby homes and other civilian buildings, Ukrainian authorities said Saturday.

The strike hit the village of Myla in the Bucha district, west of the Ukrainian capital, on Friday evening. Kyiv regional governor Tymur Tkachenko said the death toll had risen to 37 as rescuers continued searching damaged buildings and clearing debris. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the number of victims could rise further. Reuters described it as the deadliest Russian attack in the Kyiv area so far this year.

The initial drone impact ignited a fire at the storage facility before ammunition began exploding, producing a chain of powerful detonations that spread destruction well beyond the warehouse compound. At least 50 residential buildings were damaged, while more than 370 people were evacuated from the surrounding area. A nearby facility caring for elderly people and people with disabilities also suffered severe damage.

Local media, citing regional authorities, reported that 34 of those killed were residents of the nearby care facility, making the disaster particularly devastating. Among the other victims was Taras Didych, head of the Dmytrivka community, who Ukrainian officials said was killed after going to the scene to help with rescue efforts.

Zelenskyy confirms military ammunition was stored at site

The circumstances surrounding the disaster have triggered a separate controversy inside Ukraine over the decision to keep large quantities of explosives so close to residential neighborhoods.

Zelenskyy confirmed Saturday that the first Russian strike hit a Defense Forces ammunition storage facility and that artillery shells, mines, other ammunition and drones subsequently detonated.

He described the situation as involving both a Russian attack and serious negligence by those responsible for the storage site.

“A terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people,” Zelenskyy said in his national address.

The Ukrainian president said criminal proceedings were already underway and demanded a full investigation into how the facility was permitted to operate in such close proximity to homes. Ukrainian regulations prohibit ammunition from being stored near residential areas.

Ukraine’s Defence Ministry has also ordered those responsible for weapons storage to carry out a broader audit of ammunition-storage locations, according to Reuters.

Investigation into possible criminal negligence

Ukrainian prosecutors and security authorities are examining whether rules governing the storage of explosives and military material were violated and whether the necessary permits and safety requirements had been followed.

The investigation has taken on greater urgency because a similar Russian strike near Vyshneve, outside Kyiv, in July also caused stored ammunition to detonate, resulting in deaths and widespread damage to surrounding residential areas.

Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said authorities should have learned from that earlier disaster, arguing that repeating the same safety failures during the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion amounted to criminal negligence.

Zelenskyy similarly called another such incident after Vyshneve “absolutely unacceptable” and said anyone responsible should be held accountable.

Russia says depot supported Ukraine’s long-range weapons

Russia’s Defence Ministry acknowledged striking the Myla facility but gave a different description of its military purpose. Moscow claimed the warehouse stored components and launch boosters for Ukrainian long-range drones.

Russia also said its latest attacks targeted facilities connected to Ukrainian military logistics and weapons production elsewhere in the country, including infrastructure associated with Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities. The Russian claims could not all be independently verified.

Kyiv under near-continuous drone assault

The Myla disaster came amid an intensified Russian aerial campaign against Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 267 drones as well as an Onyx cruise missile and an Iskander-M ballistic missile during the latest overnight assault. Ukrainian forces claimed to have intercepted or suppressed 233 of the drones.

Kyiv and its surrounding region have endured repeated waves of drones for several consecutive days. Zelenskyy said nine other Ukrainian regions were also targeted and described Kyiv as being subjected to virtually nonstop attacks, including increasingly difficult-to-intercept high-speed drones.

Separate strikes Saturday killed a two-year-old girl in Kyiv, while a 14-year-old girl was killed in the Boryspil district outside the capital, according to Ukrainian officials. Homes, apartment buildings and commercial storage facilities have also been damaged during the continuing attacks.

Long-range war intensifying on both sides

The attack comes as both Moscow and Kyiv dramatically expand long-range operations.

Russia has increased the number and sophistication of drones and missiles sent against Ukrainian cities, logistics centers, military facilities and energy infrastructure. Ukraine, meanwhile, has stepped up domestically produced long-range drone attacks against Russian military-industrial sites, logistics facilities and energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy said Friday that Ukraine ultimately wants the capacity to conduct as many as 1,000 long-range drone launches per day, underscoring how rapidly drone warfare has become central to the conflict.

For Ukraine, however, the Myla tragedy has produced two parallel questions: responsibility for the Russian strike itself, and why such a large quantity of ammunition was being stored beside civilian homes and a vulnerable care facility.

Rescue operations and investigations remained underway Saturday, with Ukrainian officials cautioning that the death toll of 37 may not yet be final.