A look at the deadliest Russian attacks on Ukraine this year

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At least 37 people were killed when a Russian drone struck a warehouse in the village of Myla, west of Kyiv. The attack Friday night was the deadliest this year in the war and came as Russia steps up the frequency of major attacks on its neighbor in the hopes of exhausting Ukraine's defenses.

Here’s a look at some of the deadliest attacks on the capital this year.

Aug. 29, Myla, at least 37 people killed

The attack struck a warehouse that Ukrainian authorities say may

have been illegally storing munitions, causing a series of explosions and fires that swept through surrounding homes, including a care facility for the elderly and disabled where 34 people died, according to a local official. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as a “terrible situation” and said it appeared to be the result of “terrible negligence on the part of those who stored explosives right next to people.”

July 2, Kyiv, 31 people killed

Russia hammered Kyiv in a prolonged drone and missile attack, killing 31 and injuring more than 100 others in what Moscow said was retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities. Loud explosions shook the Ukrainian capital, where more than 50,000 people sheltered in subway stations after authorities issued air raid warnings. Emergency crews dug through the rubble of collapsed and charred apartment buildings all day in search of victims.

May 14, Kyiv, 24 people killed

A Russian attack on the capital killed 24 people and injured dozens of others. A cruise missile flattened a nine-story apartment block in what the Ukrainian air force said at the time was Russia’s biggest barrage since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022.

July 6, Kyiv region, 22 people killed

Russia unleashed waves of missiles and drones, killing at least 22 people in attacks that exposed widening gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses. All of the ballistic missiles launched by Russia struck their targets, underscoring Kyiv’s need for more U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles. After the attack, about 600 residents were evacuated in Kyiv’s suburb of Vyshneve due to the risk of unexploded munitions, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said that munitions had been illegally stored at the Vyshneve site.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine