Investigation following Russian attack that killed 37 in Ukraine

MİLLİYET.COM.TR - In the Ukrainian city of Bucha, an attack by a Russian drone that targeted a warehouse late at night caused a large-scale fire and explosions; according to official sources, at least 27 people lost their lives. Following the incident, in which hundreds of people were evacuated from the area, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office announced that a preliminary investigation had been launched into allegations of possible “negligence” regarding storage conditions at the warehouse.

In a statement issued by the Prosecutor General’s Office, it was stated: “In particular, we will investigate whether the explosive materials and substances stored on the facility’s premises were kept in accordance with the law, whether the necessary permits and approvals were in place, and, if so, the actions of the officials who issued those permits or approvals.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also posted about the incident on his X account, saying, “There are regulations in force; ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas. The necessary conclusions will, of course, be drawn from this.”

Tymur Tkachenko, Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, announced that at least 42 people, including four children, were injured in the attack on the village of Myla, and that 381 people were evacuated from the area. In a post on Telegram, Tkachenko stated, “The attack caused a large-scale fire. The fire spread to residential buildings,” and announced that the fire, which had spread to five homes and a restaurant, had been brought under control by emergency crews. In footage circulating on social media, reportedly taken from a location near the scene, a large fireball could be seen rising into the night sky.

ATTACKS ON THE RISE

One person was killed in a drone attack launched by Russia on Saturday against Kherson in southern Ukraine. A 44-year-old man was wounded in the attack after being struck in the chest by shrapnel. Meanwhile, two people were injured in an attack on the Sviatoshynskyi district of Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force announced that between 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday morning, Russia fired one Onyx anti-ship missile, one Iskander ballistic missile, and 267 drones at Ukraine. It was reported that 233 of the drones were shot down or neutralized by air defense systems.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have stepped up their attacks in recent months, particularly targeting logistics and energy facilities. Zelenskyy called on Ukrainian forces to “further increase” their attacks deep into Russian territory and set a target of launching 1,000 drones per day. In a video message released Friday evening, Zelenskyy stated, “Currently, the average number of attacks we carry out with long-range weapons is over 300. This number needs to be higher.”