Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on 11/7 that the state defense enterprise Ukroboronprom had illegally positioned an ammunition depot in Vyshneve, a city in Kyiv province. This action violated laws and explicit prohibitions from the Ukrainian military's Supreme Command. Zelensky affirmed that the responsible company leaders would face criminal charges, following an extensive Russian strike on 6/7 that caused significant damage to the area.
Ukroboronprom, the Ukrainian Defense Industry Group, is the nation's largest weapons manufacturer and ranks among the top 50 global enterprises in the arms industry. It oversees numerous companies involved in the development, production, sales, repair, and modernization of weapons and ammunition, alongside international military-technical cooperation.
On 6/7, the Russian military attacked multiple targets in the capital Kyiv and its surrounding province. Among the targets was the Zhulyany Machine-Building Plant (Vizar) in Vyshneve. This facility is reportedly involved in producing components for R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles and 5V55 and 48N6 missiles for the S-300 air defense system.
Videos recorded by Vyshneve residents captured a massive fireball erupting from the Vizar plant area, followed by numerous secondary explosions and flying debris. At least two objects, seemingly missiles triggered by the blast, launched from the site before crashing into a distant apartment complex. Nearly 500 Vyshneve residents were evacuated due to the threat of further secondary explosions. Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko reported approximately 130,000 square meters of residential buildings were damaged, marking the most extensive damage to residential areas in Ukraine since the conflict's onset. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine deployed 300 personnel to the scene to manage the aftermath.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has identified individuals responsible, including leaders from two Ukroboronprom subsidiaries. Deputy directors of the group and other officials are also under investigation; their identities remain undisclosed. President Zelensky urged the SBU to collaborate with law enforcement in the investigation and called on Ukrainian defense enterprises to prevent similar incidents. He emphasized, "We have regulations on suitable locations for storing weapons and ammunition, which must ensure no residential areas are nearby. Damage recovery must accelerate, not only in Vyshneve." However, President Zelensky and Ukrainian officials have not disclosed the specific weapons stored at the Vyshneve warehouse.
"Much work remains. We are not only addressing the attack's aftermath but also rebuilding every home and street, restoring normal life and a sense of security to residents," stated Kyiv province governor Mykola Kalashnyk on 11/7.
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Damage in Vyshneve, photographed on 7/7. *Photo: Kyiv provincial military agency* |
Igor Mosiychuk, a former Ukrainian parliament member, claimed Russian missiles struck "a warehouse containing cluster munitions and depleted uranium artillery shells." He asserted that while these materials did not cause dangerous radiation, they amplified the explosions. Mosiychuk also stated that local residents were instructed to remain indoors with closed windows following the attack. "I don't know which fool allowed an ammunition depot to be placed on the outskirts of Kyiv," the former Ukrainian MP remarked, calling for Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal.
By Nguyen Tien (AFP, AP, Kyiv Independent)
