SBI suspects SBU official of organizing ammunition storage in Mila village near Kyiv
Officers of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) have notified a department head in charge of supply and logistics at the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) of suspicion for overseeing the arrangement and operation of an artillery ammunition depot in the village of Mila near Kyiv.
"It has been established that when deciding to locate the warehouse in a former vegetable storage facility, he failed to take all control measures regarding the security of storing explosives and ammunition. In addition, the warehouse was illegally located near residential buildings. The premises not only failed to meet requirements for weapons storage facilities, but its placement was not coordinated with relevant law enforcement structures and air defense units. The official also failed to take measures to minimize the risks of simultaneous destruction of a large quantity of ammunition by the enemy," the press service of the SBI reported.
Russian unmanned aerial vehicles launched a strike on the facility, triggering ammunition detonation and a fire that spread to neighboring premises.
As a result of the detonation, 35 people were killed. In addition, 191 private residential houses, 14 apartment buildings, a police station, garages, a restaurant, a nursing home, a shop, and a logistics center were damaged, as well as 24 vehicles, including a police service car and a fire truck.
The official has been notified of suspicion of inaction of military authority committed under martial law (Part 4 of Article 426 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Pechersky District Court of Kyiv remanded him in custody as a preventive measure with an alternative of bail.
The article's sanction provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 10 years.
His name and the specific department he headed have not been disclosed.
As reported by the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine on Thursday, after a similar tragedy in the city of Vyshneve (Kyiv region), measures were initiated to liquidate the depot and remove the ammunition, but as of August 28, when the occupiers attacked the storage facilities with drones, these measures had not been completed. It is emphasized that the depot was located less than 100 meters from residential buildings, and requirements regarding the permissible quantity of ammunition and its dispersal—intended to reduce the risk of simultaneous detonation and damage to surrounding facilities—were not observed.
"The investigation is also examining the circumstances of improper security control over the facility and the failure to take measures to strengthen its air defense cover. Forensic explosives and fire safety evaluations have been ordered in the proceedings... All circumstances are being established, as well as other individuals whose decisions, actions, or inaction may have affected the scale of the consequences of the Russian attack," the agency reported.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that such tragedies are unacceptable, especially after a similar event occurred in Vyshneve near Kyiv, calling it the result of "terrible negligence by those who stored explosives right next to people." He reported that criminal proceedings had been opened regarding the incident and called for a full investigation into all the facts of what transpired.