Russia attacked a Ukrainian ammunition depot with a drone as attacks on Kyiv continued for a third day.
Fire erupted from the depot, in the village of Mila in Kyiv’s Bucha district, as more than 200 people evacuated their homes and officials said there had been deaths, but did not say how many.
The drone hit the site and began a major fire before explosives stored inside began to detonate.
Kyiv regional military administration chief Timur Tkachenko said: ‘Unfortunately, there are fatalities as a result of the enemy attack.
‘I express my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed. This is an irreparable loss.’
At least six were injured in the attack, which came during the third successive day of Russia’s effort to paralyse Kyiv.
Air raid sirens sounded 11 times in 24 hours as further drone and missile attacks were expected.
One home in Bucha was destroyed and seven others damaged as the depot fire spread to residential areas.
Explosions rocked Kyiv during a three-day barrage as Russia struck an ammunition store in the Bucha district
Authorities said the strike had caused deaths but did not say how many
A care home, a fire engine, five other houses and a restaurant were also damaged, while the M-06 Kyiv-Chop highway was closed as fire crews battled the blaze, which continued to burn 12 hours after the strike.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky demanded an investigation into why explosives had apparently been stored close to homes, mirroring a July explosion at an ammunition store in Vyshneve which killed nine and injured 29.
Prosecutors investigated Russia’s attack and suspected negligence by Ukrainian officials, examining whether the explosives were stored legally with necessary permits.
‘Making the same mistakes in the fifth year of the full-scale invasion is criminal negligence. Everyone responsible, without exception, must face severe punishment,’ Mr Koretsky said.
Russian pro-war channels claimed the targeted depot held Ukraine’s depleted supply of Patriot air-defence missiles or Flamingo cruise missiles, though did not provide evidence.
Putin’s latest attacks came the week after CIA director John Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow, which prompted speculation the Russian leader may have threatened the Baltic states.
Dark smoke rose into the sky above Kyiv on Saturday morning after a third day of Russian strikes
Residents passed the site of a Russian drone strike as Putin’s barrage against Kyiv passed the 50-hour mark
Fire crews closed a highway and battled blazes across Kyiv after the latest attacks from Moscow
US media reported Mr Ratcliffe warned Russia against attacking Nato members – particularly Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – amid warnings Moscow could try to test the alliance.
But experts said there was no sign of the large-scale military build-up that preceded the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Overnight Ukraine targeted Russia’s Rostov region, hitting a warehouse owned by retail chain DNS and Amazon-style online marketplace Ozon with drones.
Residents said there were dozens of explosions as the DNS depot was engulfed in flames while a shipbuilding plant was also hit.
Ukrainian strikes have crippled the region’s ports and prevented agricultural exports, prompting a state of emergency as farmers complained of an unprecedented collapse in wheat prices.
Drones intercepted by Russia damaged tower blocks in Aksay, Rostov-on-Don, where seven people were injured.
And in the occupied Kherson region, Ukrainian strikes on power plants caused widespread blackouts.
