Key facts
- A Russian drone strike on an ammunition dump in Myla village, Ukraine, resulted in 38 deaths and significant property damage.
- Residents are blaming Ukrainian officials for storing munitions too close to civilian homes.
- The incident has led to a criminal inquiry into the placement of the ammunition depot.
- Similar events have occurred recently, raising concerns about safety protocols for storing weapons.
- Cleanup efforts are ongoing, with unexploded ordnance found scattered in the area.
A Russian drone strike on an ammunition dump in Myla village, located 15 miles outside central Kyiv, has resulted in 38 deaths and widespread destruction, prompting anger among residents towards those responsible for storing weapons near their homes. The blast, which occurred Thursday night, shattered homes, destroyed gardens, and left families without electricity or water.
Residents like Vira and Serhii expressed outrage, questioning the decision to place munitions so close to a populated area. Serhii discovered a missile shell, mines, and cluster munitions on his property after the explosions subsided. Volodymyr, a security guard who was on duty nearby, returned to the site multiple times to witness the aftermath.
Thirty of the deceased were residents of a nearby care home. Ukraine's intelligence service has launched a criminal inquiry into the location of the ammunition depot. This incident follows a similar event in Vyshneve in early July, where nine people were killed and 280 homes damaged after a munitions store was hit. In that case, two individuals were detained for inappropriate weapons storage.
Liudmyla, whose home was also damaged, blamed both Russian President Putin and those who set up the depot in Myla, highlighting a grim repetition of such attacks at a time when Kyiv is facing increased assaults.