The death toll from a Russian strike on a warehouse west of Kyiv rose to 38 on Sunday, with four people still missing, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The strike on Friday night, targeting what Ukrainian officials described as an ammunition storage facility, resulted in significant explosions and fires that damaged dozens of nearby homes and buildings. This incident has become the deadliest attack of the current year in the ongoing conflict.
Emergency crews were working to extinguish remaining fires and clear explosive devices from the site in the village of Myla, Zelenskyy stated. The attack also left 20 people injured, including two children.
Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry announced Sunday that it is preparing to launch "massive strikes" against Ukraine's energy infrastructure. This statement follows recent Ukrainian drone campaigns targeting Wildberries, an online retailer described as "Russia's Amazon," and the country's oil and gas sector. Kyiv asserts that these facilities both fund and supply Moscow's war effort.
The Russian ministry characterized its planned attacks as a response to "ongoing attacks on Russia’s civilian infrastructure and fuel and energy sector" by Ukraine. In recent months, Ukraine has conducted strikes on facilities belonging to major Russian online retailers and has pounded Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure with drones. These actions have contributed to an energy crisis in Russia, a significant global energy producer.
Officials have repeatedly warned that the upcoming winter could be the most challenging since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, recalling previous winters where Russia systematically targeted Ukraine's power grid, causing widespread blackouts.
Separately, at least three people were injured in a Russian drone strike on Kyiv late Saturday. Air raid alerts persisted throughout the day, and fires broke out in a 12-story residential building and other non-residential and administrative buildings across several districts of the capital, according to state emergency services.