Ukraine Faces Deadliest Attack in a Year as Russian Bombardment Claims 31 Lives

The death toll from Russia's recent heavy bombardment of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, has tragically increased to 31, making it the deadliest single attack on the city in over a year, Ukrainian officials reported on Friday. The majority of these casualties occurred in a devastating strike on a residential apartment block. Emergency responders have already recovered the bodies of at least 28 individuals from the wreckage, which includes five children, according to the State Emergency Service (SES) in Ukraine. In addition to the fatalities, the assault injured at least 159 individuals, marking the highest number of injured children in a single night in Kyiv since the onset of the full-scale invasion, as emphasized by Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko. More than 100 rescue workers have been tirelessly working throughout the night in Kyiv's western Sviatoshynskyi district, sifting through over 2,000 tons of rubble in hopes of finding survivors during this ongoing operation. In a heartbreaking account, a Ukrainian mother shared her grief over losing her 10-year-old son, Tymur Hryhorenko, in the airstrike. The building, a nine-story apartment block, was one of many locations in Kyiv that were struck by Russian missiles and drones during the overnight attack, which commenced just before 5 AM local time. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, reiterating the urgent need for increased pressure on Moscow and stronger sanctions. "No matter how much the Kremlin denies their effectiveness, sanctions do work and they must be strengthened," he stated. Zelensky further reported that Russia had deployed over 5,100 glide bombs, more than 3,800 Shahed drones, and nearly 260 missiles of various types just in the month of July alone, underscoring the relentless nature of the assaults. The attacks did not just target Kyiv; the regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv experienced bombardments as well, with a strike on a five-story building in Kramatorsk, Donetsk responsible for three additional civilian deaths. In a concerning trend, Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian population centers have escalated sharply this year, increasingly utilizing low-cost manufactured drone swarms designed to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses. Recent analyses reveal that the frequency of these largescale attacks has significantly decreased, changing from once a month to as little as every two days. The number of munitions utilized in these larger attacks has seen a dramatic increase as well, with estimates revealing that Russia is deploying nearly 300 munitions for its attacks in 2025, a significant rise from the 100 munitions used several years ago. As the conflict endures, global leaders continue to watch with concern, signaling that the situation remains dire for the people of Ukraine as they face continuous threats from Russian aggression. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2