KYIV, Ukraine: The Ukraine warehouse blast killed at least 27 people and injured 42 after a Russian drone strike triggered explosions in the Bucha district near the capital, officials said Saturday.
The drone struck or fell on an industrial site in the village of Myla at about 8:10 p.m., according to preliminary findings from Ukrainian prosecutors. A major fire and secondary detonations followed.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, said the death toll could rise. He said 42 people were injured, including four children, while seven victims required hospital treatment.
Authorities evacuated 381 people, including 59 children, from the emergency zone. Around 50 homes were damaged as firefighters, rescuers and search teams continued working at the site.
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Among those killed was Taras Didych, head of the Dmytrivka community. Tkachenko said Didych had been among the first local officials to reach the scene.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the warehouse strike was followed by a detonation and confirmed that criminal proceedings had begun over possible official negligence. He said regulations prohibit storing ammunition close to homes or other residential areas.
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Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces targeted an arms depot containing equipment used for drone production. That description of the facility was a Russian military claim and had not been independently verified.
