Illegal Weapons Depot Near Kyiv Homes Triggered Deadly Disaster, Zelenskyy Says

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian authorities have identified officials responsible for illegally storing weapons and ammunition at a facility in the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve, where a Russian missile strike triggered deadly secondary explosions during a mass attack on July 6.

Speaking in his evening address on July 11, Zelenskyy said the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Office of the Prosecutor General are investigating the incident as part of a criminal case. According to the president, the warehouse was operated by an enterprise within Ukraine’s state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom.

Zelenskyy said Major General Oleksandr Poklad of the SBU had presented the first findings of the investigation, identifying officials who authorized the storage of weapons at the Vyshneve site.

“A direct prohibition of this exists both in the law and in the decisions of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief — all of this was violated. The specific officials involved are known, and the state’s position is that each of them must be held fairly accountable.”

According to Zelenskyy, the heads of two state-owned defense enterprises acted contrary to Ukrainian law, decisions of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and their official duties. Investigators are also examining the actions of deputy directors responsible for safety, as well as other officials whose decisions may have contributed to the incident.

The president said the SBU, together with other law enforcement agencies, has been instructed to inspect similar defense facilities across the country.

“There are designated locations in Ukraine for storing weapons and ammunition — all of which are specified to be located away from residential buildings.”

Zelenskyy also said the government discussed the future management of Ukroboronprom, noting that the state-owned defense group includes dozens of enterprises and that oversight of subsidiary companies must be strengthened.

“Ukroboronprom’s internal processes for overseeing the activities of its enterprises and their directors must be strengthened.”

The investigation follows Russia’s large-scale missile and drone attack on July 6, during which a strike hit the Vyshneve facility, causing prolonged secondary explosions. Ukrainian authorities previously confirmed that the warehouse belonged to an enterprise within Ukroboronprom but was not under the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian officials, the attack killed at least nine people in Vyshneve and injured dozens more. Hundreds of residents were temporarily evacuated due to the risk of further detonations, while hundreds of homes sustained damage.

Protect Ukrainian Skies

Subscribe to Sky Defense