KYIV: At least 37 people have been killed and nearly 400 evacuated after a Russian drone strike hit a weapons depot near a residential area on the outskirts of Kyiv, triggering a series of explosions that devastated the surrounding area.

The attack took place late Friday when the strike hit a depot storing weapons and military equipment for Ukraine’s armed forces in Myla, a village in the Bucha district west of the Ukrainian capital. The impact caused shells, mines and drones stored at the site to detonate, sending powerful explosions through the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the blast damaged nearby buildings, including a care facility for elderly and disabled people. He described the decision to store explosives so close to residential areas as unacceptable and ordered an investigation into what he called serious official negligence.

“Such a storage site definitely shouldn’t have been there,” Zelensky said, adding that authorities were investigating the circumstances surrounding the storage of explosive materials near civilians.

Regional head Tymur Tkachenko said 42 people were injured in the explosion, including four children. Emergency crews continued rescue and recovery operations at the site on Saturday as authorities assessed the extent of the destruction.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that its forces had targeted what it described as an ammunition depot in Myla. Moscow said the facility contained components and launch boosters for FP-1 and FP-2 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.

The strike caused significant damage to surrounding properties. Local resident Liubov Pavlenko, 45, told the BBC that her home had suffered extensive structural damage from the blast.

She said cracks had appeared throughout the property, including around the windows, and that the building’s structural integrity had been compromised.

The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said it was examining the legality of locating and storing explosive materials near residential buildings in Myla. Investigators will also examine the actions of officials who approved or were responsible for the storage arrangements.

Zelensky said Ukrainian regulations prohibit the storage of ammunition near homes and other residential areas. He indicated that authorities would draw appropriate conclusions following the investigation.

The incident has generated renewed public anger because it is the second explosion at a munitions storage facility near Kyiv in recent months.

A similar incident occurred in July in Vyshneve, where an attack on an ammunition warehouse triggered a secondary explosion. That incident killed nine people, injured dozens and damaged more than 280 homes.

The latest blast has therefore intensified questions about the location of Ukrainian military storage facilities, particularly in areas regularly exposed to Russian missile and drone attacks.

Residents have questioned why weapons and ammunition were stored so close to populated communities despite the ongoing war and frequent Russian aerial attacks.

Local resident Borys Daniyluk, 61, questioned why the authorities and Defence Ministry had allowed ammunition to be stored at the facility, particularly in an area that had previously been used for food storage.

The incident has raised serious concerns over civilian safety and military infrastructure in areas surrounding Kyiv. While the Russian strike caused the explosions, Ukrainian authorities are now investigating whether improper storage arrangements contributed to the scale of the disaster.

As rescue teams continue working at the site, authorities are expected to determine how the depot was approved, why explosive materials were stored near residential buildings and whether officials should face criminal proceedings.

Zelensky has already confirmed that criminal proceedings have been opened on allegations of official negligence, signalling that the investigation will examine not only the consequences of the Russian attack but also the decisions that allowed the ammunition to be stored in such close proximity to civilians.