Russian drone strike near Kyiv kills at least 27

KYIV: At least 27 people were killed after a Russian drone struck a warehouse in Myla, on the western outskirts of Kyiv, late Friday, triggering a massive fire and a series of explosions, Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday.

The warehouse appeared to have been storing “explosive objects”, prompting Ukrainian prosecutors to launch an investigation into possible criminal negligence.

Officials did not provide details about the facility or the materials stored there.

Kyiv region Governor Tymur Tkachenko said the death toll could rise.

“Unfortunately, as things stand, 27 people are known to have died. And this figure may not be final,” he said.

Among those killed was Taras Didych, mayor of the village of Dmytrivska, Tkachenko added.

According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, an unmanned aerial vehicle fell on or struck an enterprise in Myla at around 8:10pm local time on Friday.

“A large-scale fire broke out on the enterprise’s grounds, and detonation began,” the office said.

The investigation will examine whether the storage of explosive objects and materials at the facility was lawful and whether the unnamed company had the required permits and approvals.

Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky criticised the failure to learn lessons from a previous deadly attack in July at a munitions depot in Vyshneve, near Kyiv.

That investigation found serious shortcomings at the state-owned facility, including failures to comply with safety standards despite its proximity to residential areas.

“In the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, making the same mistakes over and over is criminal negligence,” Koretsky said.

“Everyone responsible, without exception, must face severe punishment so that such situations never happen again,” he added.

Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range strikes in recent months, with attacks causing fires and increasing civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, Russian online retailer Ozon said one of its logistics facilities in the Rostov region was attacked by a drone overnight, causing a small fire that was quickly extinguished.