Russian strike kills 37 near Kyiv

At least 37 people were killed in a Russian strike near Kyiv on Saturday. The attack, one of the deadliest this year, hit a warehouse in the village of Myla in the Bucha district, according to officials.

The strike sparked a fire that swept through homes and damaged at least 50 residential buildings. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the local regional military administration, reported the damage. The attack occurred during a third day of nearly constant Russian air raids on the Ukrainian capital.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described a 'terrible situation.' He cited 'terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people.'

Zelenskyy Announces Investigation

President Zelenskyy stated that the warehouse strike was 'followed by a detonation.' He noted that Ukrainian law forbids storing ammunition close to civilian homes. Criminal proceedings have been opened.

'Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions,' Zelenskyy said. He added that a care home for elderly people and people with disabilities was damaged and an evacuation was ongoing. Tymur Tkachenko later stated that 34 of those killed were residents of that care facility.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi referenced a similar tragedy in the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve in early July. That attack hit an ammunition depot, killing 22 and triggering large detonations. 'Unfortunately, we can already see that the terrible tragedy in Vyshneve did not become a lesson,' Koretskyi said. 'In the fifth year of a full-scale invasion, making the same mistakes is criminal negligence.'

Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed it hit a warehouse storing components for long-range drones. It also said it attacked the ports of Mykolaiv and Izmail, plus facilities storing parts for Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles.

Zelenskyy later announced that two officials from state-owned companies, including Ukraine's largest arms producer Ukroboronprom, had illegally allowed weapons storage at the Vyshneve site. They will be held accountable.

Sustained Russian Air Campaign

Drone attacks across Ukraine have been almost constant since Thursday. Ukrainian officials say Russia builds up missile stocks and launches major attacks every few days to exhaust defenses.

Russian strikes on the southern Kherson region on Saturday killed two people and wounded 27. Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional administration, said the attacks damaged homes and apartment blocks. One child was among the injured.

Prokudin had earlier stated that Russia intensified attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which is about 70% under Russian control. He urged tens of thousands of residents to move to safer areas due to the risk of prolonged power outages this winter.

Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, commented on the evolving threat on Friday. He said Russia has significantly increased its use of jet-powered drones. 'Means of attack always outpace means of defense. We will certainly need to adapt. It will take time,' Palisa stated. He noted that interceptor drones available to Ukraine have not yet demonstrated expected effectiveness.

Ukraine's Long-Range Strike Goals

Ukraine has stepped up its own long-range attacks on Russian military and energy facilities in recent months. The goal is to cut Moscow's revenue for its invasion.

In a Friday evening statement, President Zelenskyy said Kyiv hopes to increase its long-range strikes on Russia. The aim is to reach 1,000 drone launches every day. 'Right now, we average over 300 of our long-range sanctions,' Zelenskyy said, using his term for these attacks. 'There must be more. We have a very specific goal, and we will achieve it.'

Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed its forces destroyed 313 Ukrainian drones overnight on Saturday. In Russia's Rostov region, Governor Yuri Slyusar said Ukrainian drone attacks wounded 11 people. Nine were hospitalized, including four children.