Kyiv: A Russian drone attack near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv triggered a massive fire and explosions at an arms depot, forcing hundreds of people to flee the area.

The strike occurred in the Bucha district, close to Kyiv, and marked the second attack on an arms depot near the capital in less than two months.

According to Ukrainian officials, more than 370 people were evacuated from the affected area, while dozens of people were injured.

Zelenskyy Calls Incident ‘Terrible Negligence’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised the storage of explosives near residential areas following the incident.

Zelenskyy said the situation reflected serious negligence and stressed that ammunition should not be stored close to homes or other residential locations.

He also referred to an earlier attack in Vyshneve, on Kyiv’s western outskirts, where an ammunition warehouse was hit and secondary explosions reportedly killed 10 people.

Community Head Among Those Killed

Kyiv region officials said Taras Didych, head of the Dmytrivka community, was among those killed in the latest attack.

According to Kyiv region Governor Tymur Tkachenko, Didych was one of the first people to rush to the scene in an attempt to help rescue those affected by the explosions.

The attack also damaged at least 50 residential buildings, officials said.

Investigation Into Official Negligence

Zelenskyy said criminal proceedings had been opened over alleged official negligence in connection with the storage of ammunition.

He said existing regulations prohibit the storage of ammunition near homes and other residential areas.

The investigation is expected to examine how the explosives were stored and whether safety regulations were violated.

Kyiv Faces Repeated Drone AttacksThe latest strike came after two days of near-continuous air raids targeting Kyiv and the surrounding region.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv had been facing repeated attacks involving jet-powered drones and called for greater international support to help Ukraine defend against such strikes.

He also said Russia had targeted nine other Ukrainian regions overnight.

Russia-Ukraine Long-Range Strikes Intensify

Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range attacks in recent weeks, with strikes increasingly affecting infrastructure linked to logistics, energy and transportation.

Ukrainian officials say attacks on warehouses, oil facilities and ports have also contributed to increasing civilian casualties.

The latest attack adds to the growing security concerns around Kyiv as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues.