### At Least 37 Dead in Kyiv as Russian Drone Strike Hits Weapons Depot

A devastating Russian drone strike on a weapons depot near Kyiv has resulted in at least 37 deaths and the evacuation of nearly 400 people. The strike occurred late on Friday, causing shells, mines, and drones to detonate, damaging nearby properties including a care home for the elderly and disabled. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the storage site, stating it "definitely shouldn't have been there" and that an investigation had been launched into the "terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosive right next to people."

The incident marks the second attack on a munitions depot near Kyiv in recent months, reigniting anger among the Ukrainian population. Four children are among the 42 injured in the Friday night explosion, with a rescue operation ongoing in the Bucha district. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces targeted an ammunition depot in Myla, a village to the west of the Ukrainian capital, holding components and launch boosters for long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.

The explosion caused significant damage to around 130 homes in Myla, with local resident Liubov Pavlenko describing her home as "completely damaged." "There are cracks all around the entire perimeter, and cracks around the windows," she said. "I'm still kind of numb. I don't know… once I come around a little tomorrow, I'll probably have an even bigger breakdown."

Zelensky expressed his regret over the decision to store explosives in the village, calling it "absolutely unacceptable" and initiating criminal proceedings on charges of official negligence. He also referenced a previous attack on an ammunition warehouse in Vyshneve in July, which resulted in nine deaths, dozens of injuries, and over 280 homes damaged. The investigation into that incident revealed serious failings on the part of a state-owned company that had not complied with regulations regarding the storage of explosives near residential buildings.

The recent explosion has raised fresh questions about why munitions were being stored so close to people's homes, particularly given the regularity of Russian aerial attacks. "The authorities, the Ministry of Defence - why was this allowed at the depots, in a place where there used to be food?" asked local resident Borys Daniyluk. "Why were ammunition and weapons stored there, next to a populated village? There are no words, just emotions."

Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky echoed these sentiments, expressing regret that a "lesson" had not been learned following the explosion in Vyshneve. He called for severe punishment for all those responsible, emphasizing the need for such situations never to happen again. Regional head Tymur Tkachenko reported that a 14-year-old was killed in a separate attack in the Boryspil district, while Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko announced that a two-year-old had died after a Russian drone crashed in Obolonskyi.

The situation in Kyiv is far from isolated. According to local officials, five people, including an 18-year-old girl, were injured in fresh strikes on the capital on Saturday morning. Over the past day, five people have been killed across the country. Zelensky reported further overnight strikes in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia, as the Ukrainian army said it had shot down 233 Russian drones.

The conflict has seen an intensification of aerial attacks in recent months, with Kyiv focusing its operations on Russian economic targets. Ukraine has struck sites belonging to Wildberries, the country's biggest online retailer, describing the firm as a legitimate target due to its supply of components to the military. In response, Russia has conducted strikes on various targets, including in the Belgorod and Rostov regions, with local officials reporting two deaths and 25 injuries in the past 24 hours.