"First "mushroom" was simply horrific": Hennadii Kryvosheia on tragedy in Myla
On the evening of 28 August, the village of Myla in the Kyiv region found itself at the epicentre of a major tragedy. Following a Russian strike, a fire broke out on the premises of an enterprise, followed by the prolonged detonation of ammunition. Explosions continued for several hours, debris was scattered over a considerable distance, and residential buildings and other facilities were destroyed or damaged.
As of 30 August, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, 38 people had been killed and another 52 injured, including five children.
Former Ukrainian MP Hennadii Kryvosheia was among those who found themselves near the scene of the tragedy that evening, as he lives in the village. He saw the first explosion from his car while returning home with his daughter. At first, he thought it was yet another Russian drone strike. But after a while, the situation changed: a powerful series of detonations began.
We spoke with Hennadii on 30 August, by which time the situation in the village had become somewhat clearer. He described the first minutes after the explosion and what he had witnessed, and also raised questions that remain unanswered in the wake of the tragedy.
- Where were you when the first explosion occurred?
- Not far from the epicentre of the events, as my daughter and I were returning home from the supermarket. We did not see the drone. We were driving towards Petrushky, heading for Myla, when we heard the explosion. From experience, I realised that it could have been a Shahed. Moreover, an air-raid alert was in effect. The explosion occurred on the premises of an enterprise where there were small warehouses which, as far as we know, had nothing to do with weapons. I called the police. They said they were already on their way. We headed home. My wife was also calling and urging us to hurry. On the way, we saw air defence personnel stationed there. I asked them whether it had been a drone. One of the men replied: "It did not reach us." We drove down to the house. We could see a fire beginning to spread at the site, and about 15 minutes later we heard another explosion. We thought it was another strike. That is usually what happens. We had not taken shelter yet. In other words, there were no detonations during the first 15 minutes between the first and second explosions. I went to pick up my other child. I drove back uphill and wanted to take the highway again. But then I thought I would take another route, because the firefighters had probably already arrived and the road might have been blocked...
- What time was that?
- Look, the first explosion occurred at 8:18 p.m. I know because we took a photo of the smoke from the turnoff just as it appeared.
I also immediately called Taras Tarasovych (Didych. – O.M.), head of the Dmytrivka community, who has since died. At first, he did not answer for a while, but then he picked up. He had probably been speaking to someone else. I told him there had been a strike in Myla. He replied: "I know everything. The firefighters are already on their way. I am on my way too." We spoke very briefly. Then, 15–17 minutes after the first explosion, the second one occurred. You can even check my cameras: they show, so to speak, the exact point and time when the first "mushroom" appeared.
So, I set off to pick up my son, who was sheltering in the metro, and found myself in an open area when a very powerful explosion went off. Although the car windows were closed, it felt as though someone was trying to overturn the vehicle. The blast wave was extremely powerful. I later realised that the firefighters and the community head were already at the scene at that moment. I could only imagine: if my car was almost overturned at a distance of about a kilometre, what must it have been like right there at the scene... That first "mushroom" was probably the largest. It was simply horrific!
I could see what looked like fireworks flying through the air. The mobile signal went out. And I realised that I had my children to think about, while my wife might even have been outside walking the dog. I decided to return home. I was worried that everything was flying in our direction. I rushed back to the house through the forest and bushes. What saved us was that the house is situated, so to speak, in a hollow. The doors were torn off, and some of the windows were blown out. Fortunately, my family was in the basement. I waited there with them for about an hour. We watched on the cameras as it kept exploding over and over. I do not know how many powerful explosions there were, the kind that produced a "mushroom", somewhere between five and ten. We managed to get through to our son, and I went to pick him up. I was gone for about an hour and a half, from 9:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- When was the video you posted on Facebook recorded?
- At around 9:00 p.m. Everything you can hear in it was happening between those "mushrooms."
I went outside and heard: boom, boom! There is a shooting range not far from us that was hit by missiles more than a month ago. So we know what constant gunfire sounds like. But those are lighter weapons. Therefore, after the first "mushroom," when the detonations began, I thought: a weapons depot has been set up here. But how? Where? No new warehouses had been built there. I remember people initially writing in our local group: "Is that some kind of gas cylinder exploding or what?!" When fragments began flying, it became clear that these were weapons depots.
- What happened after you picked up your son?
- We waited in Stoianka because the highway towards Myla had been blocked. I asked a police officer why, as it was still possible to drive as far as the turnoff. He replied: "No. The entire highway is under fire." That was when I realised that the blast wave had travelled towards the residential buildings. There was also an office belonging to a water production company and a hotel there. In 2022, when nearly everything here was occupied, practically every building was damaged. The hotel survived, but now it has burned down. As of last night, the official death toll was 37. They say a large number of the victims were from the nearby care home for the elderly... Everything was burning fiercely. There were about three dozen fire engines. There were also a great many police officers. Everyone was wearing body armour.
The electricity went out in the village. Fortunately, we remained in contact with the family: we had an inverter and could communicate via Wi-Fi. We knew that everything was quiet at home, but they told us: "Do not come now because everything is exploding." I understood that the firefighters could not possibly even get close under those circumstances. But, as I later saw in the reports, they nevertheless made their way in and rescued people amid the explosions.
We were also constantly exchanging messages in the group, checking in on one another and sharing information. There are about 200 of us in it. From those exchanges, I realised that no one had suspected ammunition depots could be there – no one had mentioned anything like that. Not a single military vehicle had entered those warehouses. We live here, so we see everything. Yes, the explosions were caused by detonating munitions. But how were the weapons and ammunition brought in?! And another thing.
I once served on the Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defence, and I know that there are certain procedures for overseeing where weapons are stored. I was told that these issues were being worked on, that efforts were underway, and so on. I think that if Taras Tarasovych had known there were weapons there, he would not have gone there. And the military administration would have prohibited hazardous materials from being stored near residential buildings.
- There were also reports that bottled water was stored in some of the warehouses...
- Those warehouses were open to view. As you drove past, you could see the water bottles from the road. Vehicles were constantly transporting the water from there. They had even built a small shop there. We regularly bought water from them as well.
We saw that first plume of smoke practically behind the shop. In other words, I understood that it had come from where the water was stored. That was why I thought that perhaps they had been hit.
I did not see any military warehouses there. We had spoken to many people around here. There were ordinary businesses there, and small ones at that. A little further away, there were also some old warehouses where food, fruit, and vegetables had once been stored. We did not go there yesterday because explosions were still occurring. The last powerful explosion I heard was at 1:00 p.m. yesterday. Frankly, it was a very difficult day. We still have not fully recovered. There is a row of houses here. We are probably about 800–900 metres from the zone. What saved us was, first, that we are situated in a hollow, as I said. Second, everything "flew" towards the highway. Why that happened remains a mystery to me. Only the investigators can establish and understand it. Judging by the statements I heard yesterday and what I saw, I think this must involve more than prison sentences. The manufacturers must face serious scrutiny. My understanding is that these may be private entities of some kind. They are probably looking for places from which to operate. But they must be located as far away from populated areas as possible. And their locations must be kept as secret as possible.
- Essentially, this is the main question: why are weapons or ammunition once again being kept near residential buildings? Surely the situation in Vyshneve should have taught us something, right?
- The President called it appalling negligence. Negligence is when you fail to comply with a clear legal provision and the existing rules. I think they clearly understand that someone violated them. The worst thing is that people died because of it...
- There are also reports that the detonation began first—in other words, that the explosions were not caused by a Shahed strike. What would you say to that?
- Look, I have a photograph that captured the moment of the first explosion. It sent flames upwards. It was not such a huge "mushroom," nor was there a powerful blast wave. When we were driving, no windows had been blown out yet.
If the first explosion had been as powerful as you are suggesting, we would have felt the blast wave hit the car, as we were within a 200-metre radius. We immediately thought it was a strike. When we made the turn, we saw the moment of the explosion. Then black smoke rose - the usual pattern, like after a Shahed attack. I only thought: this is right next to the enterprise where we bought water just this morning. It flashed through my mind: "Now they are even targeting the water supply. Unbelievable!" Then, as I said, the next explosion occurred about 15 minutes later. It was only after that that the detonations and fire began.
- More than 200 people were evacuated at the time. Why did you not leave?
- First, while we were in the basement, we did not see the full scale of what was happening. We heard that a window upstairs had been blown out. But what had caused it? I now know it was the blast wave. At the time, we thought something was flying through the air. Because we were situated in a hollow, it felt as though everything was happening on the other side.
Second, we had been told that everything was burning on the highway and that firefighters were heading there. It was only when I was returning with my son that I saw it all. But I understood that the blast wave had travelled in the other direction. Although, as we drove through our neighbourhood, we saw several damaged houses: facade tiles had fallen off some homes and a roof had been torn away. But there was no fire as such in our part of the village.
I think the investigators and experts will establish exactly what happened, where and how.
- The Office of the Prosecutor General has already launched an investigation, and the Security Service of Ukraine has opened criminal proceedings. Do you believe those responsible will be punished?
- There are two aspects to this. First, those responsible must be punished. For that to happen, the investigation must do its work. Expert examinations take more than a day or two. Claims have already been made that it was not a strike. But our air defence sees and records everything. There should be no difficulty obtaining the relevant information. However, if those responsible are not punished after something like this, it will reflect very badly on the authorities. We have already seen a prompt response from both the president and the prime minister. I therefore expect to see results.
Second, thorough inspections must be carried out. Everything must be properly approved. And if the late community head did not know what was there, then the military administration did not know either, because such matters were always approved at every level in the chain. I repeat: Taras Tarasovych would have told everyone to evacuate had he known what was there. But no such signal or order was given. In Vyshneve, for example, people understood that some kind of military enterprise was located there. The situation here was different. But the relevant agencies must establish all the facts.
- What is happening in Myla today? How are people recovering?
- Yesterday, everyone was pleased when the electricity was restored in the evening, because there had still been reports that morning that electricians could not work. The power is on now.
Police officers also went around inspecting and photographing everything. They asked people whether anyone needed to be evacuated. I said that we did not: our car was intact, so we could leave if necessary. They also asked whether we needed the damage to be documented. I said: "We will deal with it ourselves. The main thing is that our walls are intact. The windows are more or less all right."
- Are you planning to leave? How is your family doing now?
- It is quiet now. Yesterday, we saw the firefighters extinguishing everything. Compared with 2022, when this area was under fire, we perceive things differently now. You see, when explosions occur after a strike or there is shelling, that is one thing. But when it keeps exploding without pause, that is entirely different. Do you know how my family reacted? Our husky is usually extremely restless and hyperactive. But this time, she sat with the child in the basement for four hours. She did not even move. The child lay there covering their ears the entire time.
I understand that our mental health has been badly affected. We are planning to consult a doctor. At the very least, we will take our younger child, who witnessed the first explosion outside and ran back and forth to the house three times. When I ran into the basement, I saw traces of blood. Someone had cut themselves. But who? We could not tell. We thought that perhaps the dog had caught herself on something and been injured while running.
Then my wife said: "There was a fragment somewhere. I stepped on it and cut myself." We checked everyone over again, including the dogs. The main thing is that everyone is alive and unharmed.
Olha Moskaliuk, Censor.NET
Photos and videos provided by Hennadii Kryvosheia
