Ukraine’s state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom dismissed the heads of two subsidiary enterprises on July 12 after investigators determined they had illegally stored weapons and ammunition in the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve, in direct violation of Ukrainian law and a standing order from the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The dismissals follow a July 6 Russian missile and drone attack that struck one of the depots and set off secondary explosions that ultimately killed 10 people and injured 29 others in Vyshneve. Hundreds of residential structures sustained damage across the town, located roughly five miles west of central Kyiv.

Ukraine’s General Staff moved swiftly to distance itself from the facility. General Staff spokesperson Dmytro Lykhovii stated the depot did not fall under the Armed Forces’ management or authority and that the prohibition on storing ammunition near civilian areas remained in force. Investigators found the breach originated entirely within Ukraine’s state-owned defense sector.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his July 11 evening address that acting Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Maj. Gen. Oleksandr Poklad had presented preliminary findings naming the responsible officials. “The direct prohibition on this, both under the law and by the decision of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, was violated. The specific officials responsible have been identified, and the state’s position is that each of them must be held accountable,” Zelensky said.

The company stated that additional officials whose actions or inaction could have contributed to the violation were also dismissed. The SBU and the Office of the Prosecutor General are jointly managing the criminal case, which also includes an examination of the dismissed officials’ deputies.