KYIV, Aug 30 - The number of fatalities from a Russian strike on an ammunition depot in the Kyiv region has risen to 38, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported on Sunday. Rescue teams remain actively searching for four people who are still missing after the incident, according to the president.
The strike, which hit late on Friday, was the deadliest attack in the Kyiv area so far this year and occurred amid an intensified wave of strikes on the Ukrainian capital that carried into the weekend. The blast struck a military installation that stored artillery shells, mines, drones and other kinds of ammunition.
Zelenskiy said on Telegram that first responders had succeeded in putting out most of the fires at the scene. He cautioned, however, that contamination across the affected zone was significant and that remediation efforts would continue for as long as necessary.
The president posted video footage showing firefighting units contending with lingering blazes and crews clearing debris from destroyed structures at the facility.
In a summary of recent Russian operations, Zelenskiy said that over the past week Moscow had launched nearly 2,000 strike drones, more than 1,600 aerial bombs, and 31 missiles, including North Korean ballistic missiles. He added that Ukraine is pursuing just responses to each Russian strike and crime and that such responses will come.
The events of the last several days have left emergency services focused on search-and-rescue, fire suppression and decontamination at the depot site, while national leadership has signaled a determination to respond to the campaign of attacks.
Context and immediate response
Authorities continue to work through the damage at the military facility, extinguishing residual fires and removing wreckage from destroyed buildings. The scale of contamination described by the president indicates prolonged cleanup operations may be required.
"We are seeking just responses to every Russian strike and crime. They will certainly come," the president said.
The death toll and missing persons count remain the primary humanitarian concerns in the aftermath of the depot strike, while the broader campaign of Russian strikes has placed additional strain on national defenses and emergency services.