At least 37 people have been killed following a massive explosion triggered by a Russian drone strike on an arms depot located near a residential area on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

The tragic incident also left 42 others injured, including four children. Due to the severity of the explosion, approximately 400 nearby residents were swiftly evacuated to safety.

Russian forces attacked the arms depot in the western Bucha district of Kyiv on Friday night (August 28). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that following the drone impact, a vast cache of stored artillery shells, mines, and other military equipment detonated with a thunderous roar.

The blast devastated surrounding residential areas and severely damaged a care center for the elderly and disabled.

Strongly condemning the incident, President Zelenskyy said that storing such a massive quantity of explosives so close to a residential area was entirely unacceptable.

Describing the matter as "gross negligence," he has ordered a strict investigation against those responsible for the incident.

Regional head Tymur Tkachenko reported that the immense shockwave from the explosion destroyed or damaged about 130 homes in the area. Emergency rescue workers are still conducting operations to search for anyone trapped beneath the rubble.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defence stated in a briefing that it launched a precise strike targeting a major ammunition warehouse in the village of Myla, west of Kyiv.

Moscow claimed that the warehouse stored components and launch boosters for long-range FP-1 and FP-2 drones used by Ukrainian forces.

This marks the second attack on an arms depot near Kyiv within the past few months. Local residents are venting their anger at the government over the storage of weapons and explosives in densely populated areas.

During an inspection of her damaged home located just 200 meters from the arms depot, 45-year-old local resident Lyubov Pavlenko cried out, saying that the deafening sound of the blast destroyed everything in her home, leaving her destitute.