Russian drone strike kills at Least 27 in Ukraine after hitting an ‘explosive storage’ facility

At least 27 people died after a Russian drone struck a warehouse near Kyiv’s western suburbs overnight, sparking huge fire and explosions, authorities said on Saturday.

The warehouse stored explosive objects, Ukrainian prosecutors said, opening an investigation into criminal negligence.

“Unfortunately, as things stand, 27 people are known to have died. And this figure may not be final,” Kyiv region governor Tymur Tkachenko said.

A huge volume of smoke, black smoke pouring out from the capital’s west suburbs, was reported by local media houses as the facility was on fire. Among the dead was Taras Didyech, mayor of the village of Dmytrivska.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General said, “On 28 August at around 8:10 pm (1710 GMT), an unmanned aerial vehicle… fell on or struck the grounds of an enterprise in the town of Myla.”

The prosecutor’s office specified that the investigation would focus on the legality of the storage of explosive objects and the materials at the enterprise’s grounds. Besides it as will assess whether the company, which was named at the facility, had the necessary permits and approvals.

Prime Minister Koretsky expressed regret that a lesson had not been learned after a previous deadly attack in July in Vyshneve near Kyiv on a munitions depot.

The investigations revealed serious failings on the part of the state-owned company, which did not comply with the standards despite being in the proximity of residential buildings.