Kyiv: At least six people were killed and more than 50 others injured in a devastating overnight attack as Russian missiles and drones struck multiple districts in the Ukrainian capital.
Among the dead was a six-year-old boy. Rescue teams continue to comb through debris in more than two dozen locations across the city, raising fears the death toll could rise. Three people were killed when an apartment block was brought down.
I received a report from the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko.
All emergency services are involved in saving as many people as possible after the Russian strike on Kyiv. Searches are underway for people trapped under the rubble. Some have been rescued. Information on…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 31, 2025
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said a residential high-rise was among the targets hit, with one entire entrance to the building collapsing in the blast. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that, “The world has yet again seen Russia’s response to our, America’s and Europe’s desire for peace. More demonstrative murder. This is why peace without strength is impossible.”
The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired 309 drones and cruise missiles overnight. While air defences intercepted a number of them, several projectiles penetrated Kyiv’s defensive shield, leaving destruction in their wake. A red-orange glow lit up the capital during the assault, with the high-pitched hum of drones followed by thunderous explosions heard throughout the night.
Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said three people were confirmed dead at the site of the collapsed apartment building. The hardest-hit areas were Kyiv’s Sviatoshynsky and Solomyansky districts, where one death and 20 injuries were reported. In the Shevchenkivsky district, a children’s hospital ward sustained damage when shockwaves shattered its windows, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Educational facilities, including a higher education institution, a school and a kindergarten, also suffered damage during the attack. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described it as a horrible morning in the capital.
The strike comes days after US President Donald Trump warned of tougher sanctions against Russia if a ceasefire is not reached by August 8. Initially setting a 50-day deadline earlier in July, Trump shortened that timeline during a visit to the UK, reducing it to ten or 12 days in light of recent escalations.
Trump remarked that, “We were going to have a ceasefire and maybe peace and all of a sudden you have missiles flying into Kyiv and other places.” Though he did not directly accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of lying, Trump noted a clear disconnect between their private discussions and Russia’s military actions on the ground.
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