{"id":35369,"date":"2026-08-31T14:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/35369\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T14:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:28:10","slug":"ukrainians-again-stored-ammunition-among-civilians-38-people-killed-in-explosion-ukraine-battlefield-update-day-1649-euobserver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/35369\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukrainians again stored ammunition among civilians: 38 people killed in explosion (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,649) \u2013 EUobserver"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every day, the\u00a0Ukraine Battlefield update\u00a0newsletter offers a clear look at how the war is unfolding on the ground. Subscribe for free here<\/a> to get the full text delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n

Russia has changed tactics \u2014 Kyiv is under an almost continuous air-raid alert. \u201cRussia has been attacking the capital and Kyiv region with drones almost continuously since 27 August. Explosions again shook Kyiv during the night of 31 August,\u201d Ukrainian website NV<\/a> reported. This is not merely a figure of speech: Russia has indeed begun sending small groups of drones towards the city almost constantly, moving away from mass attacks launched at roughly the same time.<\/p>\n

Of course, Russia had previously carried out multiple attacks a day as well, but the latest change has had such an impact on life in the city that Ukrainian prime minister Serhiy Koretskyi announced plans to alter the curfew. Almost all of Ukraine is subject to a so-called commandant\u2019s hour, during which people are officially prohibited from being on the streets. The closer one is to the front line, the earlier it begins.<\/p>\n

Following a meeting with the president, the prime minister announced<\/a> that specific proposals were being prepared \u201cto adapt the functioning of the state to the new conditions\u201d. In theory, every establishment should halt work during every air raid and people should take shelter. In practice, this is far from the case everywhere, but if Kyiv faces 10 alerts in one day, as it did on Sunday<\/a>, it must inevitably affect how the country functions.<\/p>\n

While the timing of the attacks changes constantly, Serhiy Beskrestnov, an expert in drone warfare and adviser to the defence ministry, pointed out<\/a> an important detail that Russia barely changes at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith minor exceptions, all the hundreds of jet-powered Shahed drones fly to Kyiv along exactly this route. It might seem to make no sense. Why do they not fly via the shortest route, why not take different routes? What forces them to fly in this particular way?\u201d, he asked in a post to which he attached this map:<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a><\/p>\n

His conclusion was that the modems of Russian jet-powered drones use transmitters operated by Belarusian telecommunications providers to send and receive data.<\/p>\n

Russia began using the new tactic last Thursday. This video was also recorded then, when one of its drones crashed into parked cars in a housing estate.<\/p>\n

Kyiv has been under a nearly continuous and indiscriminate attack of Russian drones for three days now. Moscow is using the new variety of jet-engine drones that are harder to shoot down. <\/p>\n

This is how daily life looks. pic.twitter.com\/16Dozy9tHu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 JP Lindsley | Journalist (@JPLindsley) August 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

For now, only qualified good news came from Ukrainian analyst Bohdan Myroshnykov, who wrote on Sunday evening<\/a>: \u201cMany people probably noticed that fewer and fewer Russian jet-powered drones reached Kyiv yesterday evening \u2014 on Saturday \u2014 and during the day today. In some cases, the entire \u2018salvo\u2019 did not get through.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said this was the result of countermeasures that had been taken, but also warned that Russia had already begun adapting its tactics. To illustrate what Kyiv looked like on Monday, here is an extract from the Ukrainian version of NV\u2019s minute-by-minute coverage<\/a>:<\/p>\n

A Russian drone struck a warehouse near Kyiv; a secondary explosion spread death. The following video speaks louder than any words. A resident of the village of Mila, near Bucha in Kyiv region, filmed and survived a massive secondary explosion at an ammunition depot in a place where no such depot should have been located. The consequences were tragic: a large part of the village was severely damaged and dozens of residents were killed. The depot had earlier been struck by a Russian drone.<\/p>\n

38 people were killed in the Russian strike and subsequent warehouse detonation in Myla, Bucha district, Zelensky says. Four more are still missing. Over this past week Russia fired nearly 2,000 drones, over 1,600 aerial bombs, and 31 missiles at Ukraine, including North Korean\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/pRYZDtYBGg<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/VQuEiYSW4O<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 WarTranslated (@wartranslated) August 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

This is the second such incident within a short period. The first occurred in July in Vyshneve, a suburb of Kyiv. \u201cSeven killed. Twenty-one injured. More than 600 evacuated. Thirteen hectares of built-up area in ruins. These are not merely the consequences of another Russian missile strike. The investigation established that the scale of the tragedy was compounded by the negligence of specific individuals,\u201d Ukrainian prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko said<\/a>. Residents were confronted with an equally apocalyptic sight at the time.<\/p>\n

\u0417\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0437\u0430\u044f\u0432\u0438\u0432, \u0449\u043e \u043e\u0431\u2019\u0454\u043a\u0442 \u0443 \u0412\u0438\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0432\u043e\u043c\u0443, \u044f\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0443\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u0456\u0434 \u0447\u0430\u0441 \u0440\u043e\u0441\u0456\u0439\u0441\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u043e\u0431\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0456\u043b\u0443, \u0431\u0443\u0432 \u0441\u043a\u043b\u0430\u0434\u043e\u043c \u0431\u043e\u0454\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0456\u0432 \u00ab\u0423\u043a\u0440\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0440\u043e\u043d\u043f\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0443\u00bb.<\/p>\n

\u041f\u0440\u043e \u0446\u0435 \u0432\u0456\u043d \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u0432 \u043f\u0456\u0434 \u0447\u0430\u0441 \u0441\u043f\u0456\u043b\u043a\u0443\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f \u0437 \u0436\u0443\u0440\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0456\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043c\u0438<\/p>\n

\u0412\u0456\u0434\u0435\u043e: hromadske pic.twitter.com\/EegOd0BzhP<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 hromadske (@HromadskeUA) July 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

At the time, Ukrainian authorities almost immediately acknowledged that the incident was the result of ammunition being stored in a populated area and arrested representatives of the private arms company that operated warehouses at the site. The same approach can now be expected. Ukraine\u2019s SBU has already opened an investigation, and president Volodymyr Zelensky said that those responsible \u201cmust be held accountable for their decisions\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, similar statements were made after the tragedy in Vyshneve in July, and, as can be seen, the incident has now been repeated on an even worse scale.<\/p>\n

Placing ammunition depots in such locations not only puts civilians at risk, but also violates the rules of warfare. This time, residents of the local care home paid the highest price. Of the 38 victims, 27 were residents of the home. Hromadske journalist Daryna Polishchevska described<\/a> \u2014 when her report was published, 37 deaths had been confirmed \u2014 how she counted 27 black body bags containing the bodies of dead elderly residents and staff in the courtyard of the destroyed facility.<\/p>\n

Residents of Mila were still describing on Sunday how explosions continued even two days after the blast. \u201cThe ammunition is still exploding. It is scattered everywhere \u2014 huge rockets, shells, cartridges,\u201d said Zhanna, a local resident whose house stands directly opposite the care home.<\/p>\n

Heavy fighting continues near Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka and Dobropillia on the main axes. \u201cOur FABs \u2014 glide bombs \u2014 are also operating on the Druzhkivka axis, destroying urban development. Heavy fighting is under way on the approaches to the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Dobropillia, the Russian Armed Forces are conducting an offensive in built-up areas while cutting off the enemy\u2019s logistics through drone and artillery strikes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The preceding quotations are from the morning report of the Russian Telegram channel Two Majors.<\/p>\n

In the first case, the interpretation is straightforward: the authors wrote nothing about an advance, only about heavy fighting. In the second, they mentioned Dobropillia but did not specify which one \u2014 the town of Dobropillia or the village of the same name 2.5 kms to the south.<\/p>\n

The local information channel Dobropillia Info reported<\/a> that Russian forces were trying to establish a foothold in the eastern part of the smaller settlement, which their soldiers regularly penetrate, but allegedly without any lasting success so far. According to the same source, the Russian army\u2019s forward positions are east of the town and in the area around the village of Hannivka, which lies directly on its north-eastern outskirts.<\/p>\n

The Ukrainian analytical channel Petrenko published its latest map, showing the village of Dobropillia without a Russian presence. Had the map been larger, the town itself would have been just beyond its upper edge.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a><\/p>\n

Russia\u2019s bridgehead on the western bank of the Oskil has become slightly smaller again. This is according to<\/a> DeepStateUA analysts, who said Russian forces had been pushed out of a two-square-km area south of the village of Zapadne.<\/p>\n

On the map below, this is the lower blue area. The one above it is the result of a successful operation last week<\/a>, when members of the 23rd Separate Assault Regiment advanced north of Zapadne, near the much larger Dvorichna. DeepStateUA wrote that the advance was again due to the 23rd Regiment, part of which is made up of soldiers from Colombia.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a><\/p>\n

Russia\u2019s Two Majors Z-channel wrote<\/a> of \u201cmeeting engagements near the village of Zapadne\u201d. Its major advantage is superiority in air power. The Russian authors claimed that, in this case too, glide bombs were being used to bombard the area immediately behind the forward positions of the 23rd Regiment, in order to cut them off from the unit\u2019s rear areas and isolate the soldiers on the front line.<\/p>\n

The smaller-scale map provides an overview of the importance of this sector. For Russia, its bridgehead is important as a base for an attack on Kupiansk to the south, as well as a staging ground for the planned cutting-off of the north-eastern part of Kharkiv region in the direction of Vovchansk.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a><\/p>\n

Videos of the day<\/p>\n

The operator of a Ukrainian ground drone managed to evade two attacks by a Russian FPV drone.<\/p>\n

A Russian air-defence system fired a missile at one of the drones, revealing its position to another.<\/p>\n

Russian footage captured the moment an air defense position fired a missile at a Ukrainian FP-2 deep-strike drone, exposing its location.<\/p>\n

Moments later, the drone struck that Russian air defense position. pic.twitter.com\/Yf4SPHCip8<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Special Kherson Cat \ud83d\udc08\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@bayraktar_1love) August 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The crew of a Ukrainian helicopter were saved from death by mere decimetres. By turning left at the last moment, the pilot avoided a drone flying directly towards them.<\/p>\n

\u041f\u0456\u043b\u043e\u0442 \u0443\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0433\u0435\u043b\u0456\u043a\u043e\u043f\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430 \u0432 \u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044e \u043c\u0438\u0442\u044c \u0432\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0433 \u0443\u0445\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u0441\u044f \u0432\u0456\u0434 \u0432\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0436\u043e\u0433\u043e FPV \u043d\u0430 \u043e\u043f\u0442\u043e\u0432\u043e\u043b\u043e\u043a\u043d\u0456 \u0432 \u0414\u043e\u043d\u0435\u0446\u044c\u043a\u0456\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0456.https:\/\/t.co\/GLExONwd4u<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/SKi9pR2wv9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u0410\u043d\u0430\u0442\u043e\u043b\u0456\u0439 \u0428\u0442\u0435\u0444\u0430\u043d (\u0428\u0442\u0456\u0440\u043b\u0456\u0446) (@Shtirlitz53) August 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

What are the losses<\/p>\n

By Monday (31 August), Russia had verifiably lost 24,052 pieces of heavy equipment, compared with 24,035 on Tuesday (25 August). Of these, Ukrainians destroyed 19,020 (19,005), 1,000 (999) were damaged, crews abandoned 1,194 (1,193), and the Ukrainian army captured 2,838 (2,838). This includes 4,443 (4,440) tanks, of which 3,348 (3,346) were destroyed in combat.<\/p>\n

Ukraine lost 12,052 (12,018) pieces of equipment, of which 9,462 (9,429) were destroyed, 697 (697) damaged, 694 (694) abandoned and 1,199 (1,198) captured. This includes 1,460 (1,456) tanks, of which 1,121 (1,117) were destroyed in combat.<\/p>\n

Note: Neither side regularly reports its own dead or destroyed equipment. Ukraine publishes daily figures for Russian casualties and destroyed equipment, which cannot be independently verified. This overview uses data from the Oryx project<\/a>, which has compiled a list of equipment losses documented exclusively through photographs since the start of the war.<\/p>\n