‘We’re alive’: Kyiv-area survivor recalls Russian strike that killed 38

MYLA, Ukraine - Liudmyla Polianychko, a 48-year-old entrepreneur, walked through her destroyed home in the Kyiv area on Sunday, the day after a Russian drone strike killed 38 people and devastated her neighborhood. Debris was scattered throughout her young daughter's bedroom and her once-manicured lawn. "But we're alive, and thank god for that," Polianychko said, describing the worst Russian strike of the year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed the attack on official negligence, describing the storage of military supplies near civilian homes as a "crime." The blast set off secondary explosions and ignited fires that forced hundreds of residents to evacuate. Zelenskyy reported that rescuers were still searching for four people reported missing and that significant contamination was present in the area.

Polianychko, who was unaware of the ammunition warehouse nearby, recounted hearing a series of blasts before being showered with glass as debris collapsed on her and her daughter in their bathroom. This was the second such strike in two months on a Kyiv-area ammunition depot, resulting in secondary blasts that killed local residents.

Zelenskyy said criminal cases have been opened in response to the strikes. The Russian air campaign against Kyiv and the surrounding region has been ongoing, with jet-powered drones swarming the city and towns for four consecutive days, causing widespread damage and loss of life. Russia has increased its air war on Ukraine, launching nearly 2,000 drones, more than 1,600 bombs, and 31 missiles at the country this week alone.

Zelenskyy vowed to seek justice for every Russian strike and crime, stating that retaliation is inevitable.