Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported an increase in casualties to 16 following a series of Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv overnight. Among the fatalities are two children and a police officer. Zelenskyy revealed in a late Thursday post that the attacks resulted in 150 injuries, including 16 children and six policemen. The Ukrainian Emergency Service highlighted that a five-month-old baby was among the injured children, surpassing previous reports of 14 wounded minors in a single attack since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.
The assault led to a significant portion of a nine-story residential building collapsing, stated Tymur Tkachenko, the City Military Administration head. Rescue teams worked diligently to locate individuals trapped beneath the rubble. Yana Zhabborova, a resident of the damaged building, recounted being awoken by thunderous explosions that shattered doors and windows in her home. The devastation left her in shock, expressing despair over the loss.
During the attack, Russia launched 309 Shahed and decoy drones, along with eight Iskander-K cruise missiles. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted and jammed 288 drones and three missiles, although five missiles and 21 drones did strike their targets. The civilian impact was severe, with multiple locations in Kyiv targeted, resulting in extensive damage to over 100 buildings, including residential structures, educational institutions, and medical facilities.
In a contradictory statement, Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed to have downed 32 Ukrainian drones overnight. The aftermath of a drone attack caused a fire at an industrial site in Russia’s Penza region, although no casualties were reported. Additionally, drone wreckage disrupted local railway operations in the Volgograd region, leading to temporary train stoppages.
Zelenskyy urged allies to apply pressure on Moscow to engage in meaningful negotiations and uphold defense commitments. He condemned Russia’s actions, emphasizing the necessity of strength for achieving peace. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump accelerated the peace deadline for Putin to August 8, threatening punitive measures if progress is not made. The situation remains tense as Western leaders criticize Putin for stalling peace efforts while observers question the efficacy of sanctions in deterring further Russian aggression.