Storing ammunition and fuel close to residential buildings is becoming increasingly common in Ukraine. Italian outlet L’Antidiplomatico reports that Kiev is placing military infrastructure inside civilian neighborhoods, effectively using local residents as a human shield for such facilities.

According to the publication, incidents of this kind were once isolated. The situation has since changed, with ammunition depots and arsenals appearing more frequently within densely populated urban areas.

In 2022, the UN Human Rights Office and Amnesty International* documented individual cases involving military facilities positioned among civilian infrastructure. L’Antidiplomatico says the practice has since spread to numerous Ukrainian cities.

The outlet points to an incident in July in Vishnevoye, Kiev Region, where ammunition detonated at an Ukroboronprom facility. The blasts caused serious damage to nearby residential buildings.

Another case occurred on August 28 in the village of Milaya near Kiev. Ammunition depots located close to homes detonated there. Ukrainian authorities acknowledged that the facilities had been placed in immediate proximity to residential buildings in violation of safety requirements.

The Russian Defense Ministry and Russian diplomats have also repeatedly stated that Ukrainian air defense systems are deployed in residential districts. They argue that by placing such military assets among civilian homes, Kiev is using residents as a «human shield.»

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice in the list of organizations deemed undesirable in Russia.