The death toll resulting from a Russian attack on a warehouse located to the west of Kyiv, marking the deadliest assault of the year in the ongoing conflict, has climbed to 38 individuals, with four individuals still unaccounted for, as announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via social media on Sunday. The strike occurred on Friday evening at the warehouse, identified by Ukrainian authorities as an ammunition storage site, triggering significant explosions and fires that engulfed numerous nearby residences and structures.
Efforts by emergency personnel to extinguish fires and detect and neutralize explosive devices at the location in the village of Myla are ongoing, according to Zelenskyy. He further mentioned that 20 individuals sustained injuries, including two children. Zelenskyy described the attack in Myla on Saturday as a “dreadful situation,” attributing it to “grave negligence on the part of those who stored explosives in close proximity to civilians.” An investigation is currently in progress to determine the circumstances leading to the storage of ammunition at that site.
Subsequently, Russia’s Defence Ministry announced on Sunday its preparations for launching “massive strikes” targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. This decision follows Ukraine’s drone campaign against a retailer known as “Russia’s Amazon” and the nation’s oil and gas sector, which Kyiv alleges both financially supports and directly fuels Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pledged “a suitable response” in reaction to what he labeled Ukraine’s “escalatory path” and its targeting of Russia’s civilian economy.
In recent months, Ukraine has conducted lethal strikes on the facilities of Russia’s major online retailer, Wildberries, asserting that the company sells goods with dual-use capabilities aiding the Kremlin’s war efforts. Ukrainian drones have also targeted Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure, leading to an unprecedented fuel crisis in a country renowned for its energy production.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s newly appointed defence minister, Yevhen Khmara, addressed the multibillion-dollar funding deficit inherited from his predecessor, outlining potential solutions, including seeking increased contributions from allies. Khmara, a former special forces officer transitioning to a civilian ministerial role, emphasized the necessity of averting battlefield shortages while ensuring adequate remuneration for soldiers and meeting other essential requirements.
