Zelensky Slams 'Terrible Situation' After Strikes Kill 37

At least 37 people have been killed following a Russian strike close to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, officials said on Saturday, one of the deadliest attacks to hit Ukraine this year. The attack sparked a fire in the Bucha district, west of Kyiv, that swept through homes and damaged at least 50 residential buildings, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the local regional military administration, per the AP. The strike comes as almost constant Russian air raids on Kyiv reach their third day, choking the economy there and severely disrupting civilian life more than 4 1/2 years after Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

But the nature of the strike, which was followed by explosions, has raised difficult questions for Kyiv, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky describing a "terrible situation" and "terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people." Zelensky said in a statement that a warehouse had been struck in the village of Myla, "followed by a detonation." He wrote in the same message that Ukrainian law forbade the storage of ammunition close to civilian homes and that criminal proceedings had been opened. "Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions," Zelensky said.

Zelensky later announced that two officials from state-owned companies, including Ukraine's largest arms producer, Ukroboronprom, had illegally allowed the storage of weapons in Vyshneve, which saw 22 people killed after a strike there in July. The Ukrainian leader also wrote on Friday that a care home for elderly people and people with disabilities had been damaged in the latest attack, and that an evacuation from the area was ongoing. Tkachenko was later cited by Ukrainian media saying that 34 of those killed were residents at the care facility. Russia's Defense Ministry said that it had hit a warehouse in Myla storing components and launch boosters for long-range drones.

It also said that it had attacked the ports of Mykolaiv and Izmail, as well as a logistics center and warehouse facilities storing parts for Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles in the Kyiv region. Meanwhile, Ukraine has stepped up its long-range attacks on Russian military industries and energy facilities in recent months, using locally made drones, aiming to cut Moscow's revenue for its invasion and make Russians feel the consequences. More here.