SBU officer formally accused over Myla depot detonation that killed 35
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation has served a notice of suspicion on an SBU official who ran an ammunition depot in the village of Myla, Kyiv Oblast, after a Russian drone strike triggered a chain detonation on 28 August that killed 35 people. The depot had been set up in a former vegetable storage facility less than 100 metres from homes and operated without the required safety documents.
Key points
- Notice of suspicion served on an SBU unit head responsible for arranging and operating the depot in Myla, Buchanskyi district, Kyiv Oblast
- Charge under Part 4 of Article 426 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (military official's failure to act in martial law, causing grave consequences); the article carries up to 10 years' imprisonment
- Pechersky District Court in Kyiv imposed detention with an alternative of bail
- Russian drones struck the depot at around 20:10 on 28 August; the hit caused detonation of stored ammunition and a fire that spread to neighbouring buildings
- 35 people killed, one person reported missing, 21 injured including two children, police officers and rescuers
- 191 private houses and 14 apartment buildings damaged; a nearby nursing home for the elderly suffered the greatest destruction
- Depot had been set up in a former vegetable storage facility, sat less than 100 m from residential buildings, and lacked the required safety passport; clearance works begun after an earlier incident in Vyshneve had not been finished by the date of the strike
Why it matters
A serving officer of a wartime security service has been formally accused of organising an unsafe ammunition depot metres from civilian housing — a case that will test internal accountability for decisions that put residents at risk. The detonation also exposed how a single drone hit on a poorly sited, poorly stocked depot can produce mass civilian casualties, sharpening questions about air defence coverage and the rules governing storage of military stocks near populated areas.
What happened
On the evening of 28 August, at around 20:10, Russian drones struck an SBU-run ammunition depot in the village of Myla, Buchanskyi district, Kyiv Oblast. The depot had been set up in part of a former vegetable storage facility, sat less than 100 metres from residential buildings, and had operated without the required safety passport; limits on quantities and dispersal of ammunition were not observed, and the depot's placement had not been coordinated with law enforcement or air-defence units. The drone strike triggered a detonation of the stored munitions and a fire that spread to surrounding structures. Ukrainian authorities report 35 people killed, one person missing and 21 injured, including two children, police officers and rescuers. Damage included 191 private houses, 14 apartment buildings, 24 vehicles and a nearby nursing home for the elderly that suffered the greatest destruction. The Kyiv–Chop highway (M-06) was temporarily closed between the 15th and 32nd kilometres. Investigators from the State Bureau of Investigation later served a notice of suspicion on the SBU official who arranged and ran the depot, under Part 4 of Article 426 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, which carries up to 10 years' imprisonment; the Pechersky District Court in Kyiv imposed detention with an alternative of bail. Forensic explosive and fire-technical examinations have been ordered, and the investigation is also looking at whether proper safety control and air-defence measures were in place.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage frames the story around domestic accountability: the suspect's affiliation with the SBU, the criminal investigation under Article 426 and the arrest dominate the headlines, while the Russian strike is treated as the trigger rather than the lead. Ukrainian officials — President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi — are quoted calling for responsibility and stating that ammunition must not be stored near homes. The human cost is given prominent local detail, including the death of Dmytrivska hromada head Taras Didych, who was among the first to go to the scene, and the destruction of a nearby nursing home for the elderly.
Where reporting differs
Most sources report 35 killed and 21 injured, but one outlet cites earlier figures of 38 killed and 52 wounded. Kyiv Oblast authorities are also reported as saying about 300 facilities were damaged in Myla and surrounding settlements, whereas other reports detail 14 apartment blocks and 191 private houses.
Background
The Myla depot had been set up in a former vegetable storage facility and operated without the required safety passport; it was sited and stocked in breach of safety rules, including limits on the maximum permitted quantity of ammunition and on dispersal to reduce the risk of simultaneous detonation. An earlier incident in Vyshneve had already prompted the start of depot clearance and removal of ammunition, but those works had not been completed by the date of the strike.