Ukrainian PM blames 'criminal negligence' for massive warehouse blast near Kyiv

Russian forces struck the Kyiv region on the evening of August 28, sparking a fire in the Bucha district and a series of secondary explosions. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, said the Kyiv-Chop highway was temporarily closed between the 15- and 32-kilometer markers after the attack set warehouse facilities ablaze.

Russian military bloggers claimed the strike targeted an ammunition depot near Kyiv.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi said the strike on the Bucha district resulted from 'criminal negligence,' drawing a parallel to the incident in Vyshneve in early July. 'Unfortunately, it is already clear that the terrible tragedy in Vyshneve did not serve as a lesson. In the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, making the same mistakes is criminal negligence. And all those guilty, without exception, must face severe punishment,' he wrote.

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office said it is investigating the circumstances of the explosions. Officials clarified that the fire started at a commercial enterprise in the village of Myla, injuring five people. In the Bucha district, one private home was destroyed and seven others were damaged.

Echoes of the Vyshneve tragedy

Overnight into July 6, Russia struck Kyiv and the surrounding region with missiles and drones, hitting the city of Vyshneve and triggering explosions at an Ukroboronprom warehouse. Authorities said nine people died in that strike, with almost 300 residential buildings damaged and 91 completely destroyed. President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the time that a criminal investigation had been opened, that those responsible would be held accountable, and that dismissals at Ukroboronprom would follow.