As search efforts conclude, Russia's attack on Kyiv becomes most deadly on capital this year with 31 civilians killed
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles on Kyiv on July 31, killing at least 31 people and injuring 179 in one of the deadliest attacks on the capital since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, said that as of the morning of Aug. 1, the Russian attack had killed 31 people. At around 10:40 a.m. local time, rescuers recovered three more bodies.
Later in the day, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the site of the attack, laying flowers amid the rubble.
"There is no way to justify what Russia is doing. We will never forgive the killing of our people, these brutal strikes," Zelensky said in his address. The president also announced that a total number of injured victims had reached 179.
Among the victims was senior police lieutenant Liliia Stepanchuk, a patrol officer who had served in Kyiv's police force since 2017. Her body was recovered from the rubble in Sviatoshynskyi district during rescue operations, the Interior Ministry said.
Three police officers and 12 children were among the injured. Thirty people, including five children, were hospitalized as of 2:40 p.m. local time on July 31, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. First responders have been working at the scenes of the attacks.
Klitschko added that the number of children injured was the highest recorded in the city since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The deadliest attack on the capital occurred in December 2023 when 33 people were killed.
Russian forces launched over 300 drones and eight missiles against Ukraine overnight, targeting Kyiv and other regions, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
In response to the attack, Aug. 1 has been declared a Day of Mourning in Kyiv. Flags will be flown at half-mast on all municipal buildings. All entertainment events are banned in the city for the day.
The attack came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Russia within 10 days unless the Kremlin agrees to halt its full-scale war against Ukraine.
"Kyiv is under massive drone attack. Make no mistake, this is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s response to President Trump’s deadline," Meaghan Mobbs, daughter of U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, wrote on X overnight on July 31. "He is testing American resolve and strength. We must not be found wanting."
At least 27 locations around the city were hit, mainly in the city’s Solomianskyi district, where an educational institution and a residential building had been targeted. According to Tkachenko, 101 buildings sustained damage in the district.
Kyiv's Sviatoshynskyi district also suffered under attack, with a resulting fire burning vehicles and debris striking the ninth floor of a residential building.
Damages were also reported in the Holosiivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts.
Following the end of the air raid siren at 3:20 a.m. local time, the threat quickly resumed at approximately 4:30 a.m., with the Air Force warning of renewed missile threats toward Kyiv. Shortly after, another round of explosions was heard in the skies over Ukraine's capital, local media reported.
The renewed missile barrage caused further damage, with a residential building in the Sviatoshynskyi district reported to be hit and partially destroyed, and victims trapped under rubble, according to Zelensky, who shared video footage of the scene. First responders have been dispatched to the site of the attack.
Windows were shattered in the children's wing of a hospital in Shevchenkivskyi district, Klitschko said, adding that no injuries were reported at the site.
Railway infrastructure was damaged in one of the districts, causing disruptions in traffic but no casualties, Ukrainian Railways said.
The mosque and other facilities of the Islamic Cultural Center were also damaged, while Russian missile debris hit the center's courtyard, said Oleh Khalydovych, a representative of the local Muslim community. No injuries were reported.
This latest attack unfolded against the backdrop of Trump's ultimatum to Russia. In an audio clip released by the White House on July 29, Trump said: "Ten days from today. And then we're gonna put on tariffs and stuff."
Trump acknowledged his uncertainty about its impact on Russia, adding, "I don't know if it’s gonna affect Russia, because he (Putin) wants to obviously probably keep the war going, but we're gonna put tariffs and various things."
The new measures are expected to include secondary sanctions targeting countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, and other commodities, including China and India.
Trump initially gave Russia 50 days to agree to a peace deal, warning on July 14 of "severe" tariffs of up to 100%. On July 28, he said he was no longer willing to wait that long. "There’s no reason in waiting," Trump said. "It’s 50 days, I wanted to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on July 26 that Trump is "losing his patience" with Russia over the war in Ukraine.
"Today, the world once again saw Russia’s response to our desire for peace, shared with America and Europe," Zelensky said in the wake of the latest attacks.
"But forcing Moscow to make peace, compelling them to come to a real negotiating table — all the tools needed for this are in the hands of our partners."
