Kiev [Ukraine], August 31: The death toll from explosions triggered by a Russian attack on an ammunition storage facility near the Ukrainian capital Kiev has risen to 38, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
Four people remained missing in the village of Myla, around 5 kilometres west of Kiev, where work to clear the aftermath of the attack and search for further victims was continuing, Zelensky said on social media. Twenty people, including two children, were injured, he said on Telegram. A day earlier, authorities had reported 37 deaths and more than 40 injuries.
"Rescuers have managed to extinguish most of the fires," Zelensky said.
Explosives experts were working to locate ammunition scattered across a large area, he added. Russia attacked the depot, where shells and mines were stored, on Friday evening, triggering explosions that tore through nearby properties, including a nursing home where most of the victims were killed. It emerged that the facility had been operating in a residential area in violation of Ukrainian regulations. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed the storage facility was housing drone components.
"My condolences go to the families and friends of those who died," Zelensky said. He had earlier vowed to hold those responsible for negligence to account.
Zelensky called for greater protection against Russian attacks, saying Moscow had launched nearly 2,000 attack drones, more than 1,600 bombs and 31 missiles of various types against Ukraine over the past week, including North Korean ballistic missiles. He said communities in front-line and border regions were coming under attack around the clock.
The Russian military said on Sunday it was preparing for large-scale strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, describing them as a response to Kiev's attacks on oil refineries, fuel depots and civilian targets.
Zelensky had previously announced plans to increase Ukrainian drone attacks against Russia to 1,000 drones per day, up from an average of around 300.
Russia has been waging its full-scale war against Ukraine for more than four and a half years. Kiev is defending itself with Western military and financial support.
Source: Qatar Tribune
