Russian forces struck a Ukrainian ammunition depot in the Kyiv region on Saturday, causing a major fire and resulting in fatalities, according to officials. The attack, which occurred in the village of Mila in the Bucha district, led to the evacuation of over 200 residents. Explosives stored at the site detonated after a drone strike, officials reported.
Kyiv regional military administration chief Timur Tkachenko confirmed there were deaths but did not provide a specific number. At least six people were injured in the incident. The depot fire spread to nearby residential areas, destroying one home and damaging seven others, along with a care home, a fire engine, five houses, and a restaurant. The M-06 Kyiv-Chop highway was closed as fire crews battled the blaze for over 12 hours.
Ukraine's Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky called for an investigation into the storage of explosives near residential areas, drawing parallels to a July incident in Vyshneve that killed nine people. Prosecutors are examining whether the explosives were stored legally with the necessary permits. "Making the same mistakes in the fifth year of the full-scale invasion is criminal negligence," Koretsky stated. "Everyone responsible, without exception, must face severe punishment."
Russian pro-war channels claimed the targeted depot contained depleted supplies of Patriot air-defense missiles or Flamingo cruise missiles, though no evidence was provided. The strikes on Kyiv have continued for three consecutive days, with air raid sirens sounding 11 times in 24 hours, indicating ongoing threats of further drone and missile attacks.
The attacks on Kyiv follow a week after U.S. media reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow. Speculation arose that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have threatened Baltic states, with reports suggesting Ratcliffe warned Russia against attacking NATO members, particularly Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
However, experts have noted no sign of the large-scale military build-up that preceded Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In retaliation, Ukraine targeted Russia's Rostov region overnight with drones, hitting a warehouse owned by the retail chain DNS and the online marketplace Ozon. Residents reported numerous explosions as the DNS depot caught fire. Ukrainian strikes have also reportedly caused power outages in the occupied Kherson region and damaged tower blocks in Aksay, Rostov-on-Don, injuring seven people.