Zelensky: 27 killed after strike on Bucha district, says munitions must not be stored near housing

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that munitions must never be stored close to residential buildings, commenting on the aftermath of a Russian strike on a warehouse in the village of Myla in the Bucha district, which triggered a powerful detonation.

According to Zelensky, the strike and the subsequent detonation caused severe damage to surrounding infrastructure, including residential buildings and a care home for elderly people and people with disabilities. As of the time of the report, 27 people were known to have died and dozens more were injured. Among the dead is Taras Didych, head of the Dmytrivka community, who, according to Zelensky, was helping to rescue people.

President demands accountability

Zelensky stressed that those responsible for the decision to store the munitions there must be held accountable. He noted that regulations exist prohibiting the storage of munitions near houses and other residential buildings. Investigators from the National Police and Ukraine's Security Service have opened a pre-trial investigation, launching a criminal case over official negligence. The president promised that appropriate conclusions would be reached.

Circumstances of the incident

On the evening of August 28, powerful explosions were heard in the Bucha district of Kyiv region after a fire broke out at a warehouse. Traffic was blocked along a stretch of the M-06 Kyiv–Chop highway between the 15th and 32nd kilometers.

This is not the first such incident — on July 6, 2026, a similar event occurred in Vyshneve, also in Kyiv region, where a Russian strike caused prolonged detonation at ammunition depots, killing nine people and damaging more than 280 buildings.