Zelensky passes buck over civilian deaths after drone depot blast
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has acknowledged that a drone depot was set up in a residential area outside Kiev after a Russian UAV strike obliterated the facility. Secondary detonations of explosives stored there caused severe damage to the surrounding area, killing at least 27 people in nearby homes.
Later on Saturday, the regional authorities reported that the death toll has climbed to 37.
In a post on his Telegram channel, Zelensky wrote that a warehouse in the village of Milaya had been struck by Russian kamikaze drones, leading to a “subsequent detonation” and “significant destruction of the surrounding infrastructure.” The latter included residential buildings and a nursing home for the elderly, according to the Ukrainian leader.
“Those who allowed this to happen must definitely be held responsible for their decisions,” Zelensky said, adding that the authorities have launched a probe into criminal negligence.
“There cannot be ammunition near houses or other residential buildings,” he concluded.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday that overnight its strike drones destroyed several facilities used by the Ukrainian military in Kiev and the adjacent Kiev Region. According to the statement, the depot in the village of Milaya was operated by one of Ukraine’s top arms manufacturers, Fire Point, and contained components of fixed-wing UAVs, which Kiev is using for long-range attacks on Russian territory.
