A Russian drone struck an ammunition depot in the village of Mila in the Kyiv region, triggering a large secondary detonation. According to the latest figures from Ukrainian authorities, 38 people were killed.
The facility contained artillery shells, mines, drones and other munitions. The subsequent explosions and fires damaged hundreds of buildings in Mila and nearby settlements.
Initial reports put the death toll at 37. On August 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the number of dead had risen to 38. Four people were still listed as missing at the time.
Zelensky described the storage of large quantities of ammunition close to residential homes as “criminal negligence.” Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the depot.
The Russian strike caused the initial fire, but the scale of the casualties and destruction increased sharply because of the subsequent detonation of stored munitions.