At least 37 people have been killed after a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition storage facility near Kyiv, triggering a huge fire and a series of explosions that lasted for hours.
The attack occurred in the Bucha district on Friday as Russia continued a wave of aerial attacks across Ukraine.
Kyiv region military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said 37 people had been confirmed dead as of Saturday afternoon, warning that the death toll could rise. Dozens of others were injured.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike hit a facility where shells, mines, other ammunition and drones were stored close to residential areas.
Zelensky described the incident as a serious failure by officials responsible for storing the explosive materials and said a criminal investigation had been launched.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General also confirmed that explosive materials were stored at the facility and said authorities would investigate the circumstances surrounding the explosion and the actions of officials responsible for the site.
Several buildings were destroyed in the blast, while a care home for elderly people and persons with disabilities was among the structures damaged.
More than 300 emergency workers were deployed to the area as rescue and recovery operations continued.
Taras Didych, the head of the local municipality, was also among those killed after arriving at the scene to assist residents.
The incident came only weeks after seven people were killed when a Russian strike hit an ammunition warehouse in a residential area in Vyshneve, about 20 kilometres from Saturday’s blast site.
Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions have faced repeated Russian air attacks in recent days.
Ukrainian authorities said more than 260 attack drones were involved in overnight strikes across multiple regions.
The latest attacks have also included increasing numbers of jet-powered drones, which Ukrainian officials say are difficult to intercept because of their high speed.
Ukraine’s Deputy Presidential Office head Pavlo Palisa said Russia had significantly increased its use of the drones and that Kyiv was working to strengthen its air defences.
