KYIV — Ukrainian authorities said Saturday that a Russian strike on an arms depot near Kyiv overnight caused fires and explosions that killed 37 people and wounded dozens. AFP reporters saw plumes of black smoke over the capital's western suburbs, and videos published by Ukraine's rescue services showed homes near the blast epicentre in flames.

The attack was the second to hit a munitions depot near Kyiv in less than two months. Officials expressed anger that arms were still being stored so close to residential areas.

Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range strikes on each other in recent months, pushing civilian casualties to their highest level since Moscow invaded in 2022.