Russian strikes on warehouses leave Kyiv shops empty and destroy 12m school books ahead of new term
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday it is preparing “massive strikes” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Russian forces relentlessly battered Kyiv and cities in the region around the Ukrainian capital for a fifth straight day on Monday, leaving some supermarket shelves bare after repeated strikes on warehouses as Ukraine reels from attacks with jet-powered drones.
Russia has intensified its aerial attacks in recent months, more than four years after it launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
Almost constant air raid alerts in the Kyiv region in recent days have severely disrupted daily routines. Two major attacks in July killed almost 50 civilians and a strike on Saturday killed at least 38 people.
Meanwhile, an overnight strike on a printing press on the edge of the Ukrainian capital destroyed around 12 million textbooks ahead of the start of the new school year.
Classes were due to resume at Ukrainian schools on Tuesday, but it was unclear whether parents would send their children. Schools have air raid shelters, and classes can also be held online.
Earlier this month, a Russian strike on a warehouse in northeastern Kharkiv destroyed 8 million books, the publishing house said, slamming it as an attack on Ukrainian culture.
It is not the first time Russia has struck a major publishing centre, drawing accusations from Kyiv that Moscow was specifically targeting them.
"The enemy is trying to burn out our education and culture," the publisher, Ranok, said.
But Ukraine has also tried to make Russian civilians feel the burden of war by hammering major online retailers and oil facilities.
The attacks have brought shortages for ordinary Russians, though its strikes have not been as deadly for civilians.
Ukraine builds technology to counter jet-powered drones
A pall of black smoke drifted over Kyiv on Monday morning. In Brovary and Boryspil, cities in the Kyiv region, the aerial attacks struck several warehouses and four people were wounded, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy conceded on social media that Ukraine is struggling to counter fast-flying jet-propelled drones that Russia is increasingly deploying.
Between Thursday and Sunday, Russia fired almost 1,500 drones at Ukraine and around 800 of them were jet-powered, Zelenskyy said.
Combat aircraft are currently trying to stop the jet-powered versions while Ukraine looks to develop more effective technology.
“Four companies have developed the relevant interceptor drones, and one company has the most successful technology,” Zelenskyy said. He didn't elaborate.
Kyiv official says Ukrainians won't go hungry
Repeated Russian strikes on food distribution centres and retail hubs have disrupted Ukrainian logistics, leaving some supermarket shelves bare and fuelling public concern about shortages.
Those fears prompted Zelenskyy adviser Serhii Beskrestnov to say on social media on Monday that Ukraine will not go hungry.
He urged the public not to give in to rumours, disinformation or panic, saying producers and retailers are currently restructuring supply chains.
He added that European countries would be ready to fill any food supply shortfall, if necessary.
At the same time, Russia has kept up its attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, seeking to leave civilians cold and without running water in the approaching winter.
Russian forces launched what officials said was a massive overnight drone attack on Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, which borders Russia, where an energy facility was damaged, according to Viacheslav Chaus, head of the regional military administration.
He did not provide details of the damage.
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday it is preparing “massive strikes” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Russia overnight shot down 239 Ukrainian drones over 14 Russian regions, occupied Crimea and the waters of the Black Sea, the Defence Ministry in Moscow said Monday.
A Ukrainian missile attack on Sunday evening on the Russian border city of Belgorod killed three people, acting regional Governor Alexander Shuvayev said.
Zelenskyy Blasts ‘Negligence’ As Ukraine Mourns Dozens Killed In Russian Strike
The village of Myla near Kyiv is left in ruins after an ammunition detonation took place following a Russian drone strike. Photo Credit: RFE/RL
Key Takeaways:
- After a Russian drone hit a warehouse in Kyiv’s Bucha district on Aug. 28, Zelenskyy said 37 were dead as of Aug. 29 and that stacked ammunition and drones should not have been stored next to homes; a criminal inquiry is open.
- Officials and residents called the siting “criminal negligence,” comparing it to a July Vyshneve blast that killed nine; a nursing home was also hit and community head Taras Didych was among the dead.
- An aid HQ was set up in Dmytrivka; villagers in Myla said they were not told what the warehouse held while rubble searches continued.
Ukrainian crews early on August 30 continued to search for victims of the deadly Russian attack outside of Kyiv, while local residents — as well as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — demanded answers as to why explosives were stored in a warehouse so near private housing.
“A terrible situation and terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people,” Zelenskyy said late on August 29 in his nightly video address.
“There has been extensive destruction, and as of now, 37 people have been reported killed. The rubble is still being cleared, and unfortunately, the death toll may increase.
Zelenskyy said the Russian drone strike was on an ammunition storage site “that definitely shouldn’t have been there…shells, mines, other ammunition, and drones detonated.”
He added that a criminal investigation was under way.
“All the facts must be fully investigated. Another such crime — after what happened in Vyshneve — is absolutely unacceptable. I expect the details to be presented to the public promptly,” he said.
In July, a similar incident occurred in the Vyshneve region of Kyiv where a Russian strike caused explosions at a warehouse, killing nine people and damaging more than 280 houses.
Explosive Storage
Following the latest attack, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky also criticized officials for storing explosive materials near residential areas. He said making such mistakes was “criminal negligence.”
Along with the fatalities, dozens of people were injured from the overnight Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s Bucha district in the Kyiv region.
Local authorities said the August 28 drone strike caused a major fire and explosions at the warehouse, which is said to be the major cause of the casualties.
Reporting from the scene, RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service correspondent Maryan Kushnir said that “the whole area is in ruins,” adding that the strike also affected a nursing home, where “many” people were killed.
According to Tymur Tkachenko, a top district administration official, those killed in Bucha also included the head of the Dmytrivka community in the district, Taras Didych. Tkachenko said it was a “great loss” for the region.
Operational HQ
The official added that an operational headquarters had been set up in Dmytrivka to provide food as well as other support to the people in the affected region.
As sounds of detonations continued in Myla village, local resident Zhanna told RFE/RL that she had lost her husband in the incident, adding that he had previously survived the Russian occupation.
“Why can’t this be organized?” she asked through tears, referring to the placement of explosives in the village.
Another Myla local, Oleksandr, said the village’s residents didn’t know what was stored in the warehouse there. “Nobody told us anything… People aren’t informed. I think everything is being done the wrong way.”
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