Grief engulfed Ukraine’s capital on Friday as families and neighbours gathered to mourn the 31 people killed in Russia’s most devastating airstrike on Kyiv in 2025. Among the dead were five children, including a two-year-old, as authorities concluded a 24-hour search-and-rescue operation in the Sviatoshyn district.
The attack, launched early Thursday, involved over 300 drones and eight missiles in a multi-wave barrage that injured at least 159 people, 16 of them children. While damage was reported in several districts, the worst hit was a residential block that partially collapsed, burying families under tons of debris.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the updated death toll on Friday, as mourners laid flowers and stuffed animals at a makeshift memorial near the rubble. Excavators worked steadily nearby, lifting twisted concrete and steel as families grieved.
International reaction was swift. U.S. President Donald Trump condemned Russia’s actions as “disgusting,” but offered mixed signals on his next steps. Though he gave Russian President Vladimir Putin until August 8 to reach a peace deal, Trump said he was uncertain whether sanctions would prove effective. Despite increasingly tough rhetoric, skepticism remained in Ukraine.
“Trump just says, ‘I’m upset with President Putin’s behaviour.’ And what? No results,” said Natalia Matviyenko, 65, as she watched rescue teams clear the site.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called for more than sympathy. “The world possesses every instrument required to ensure Russia is brought to justice,” she wrote on X. “What is lacking is not power — but will.”
Despite diplomatic stagnation, Ukraine’s air defences continue to fight back. The air force reported destroying over 6,000 drones and missiles nationwide in July alone.
As the war grinds on, many in Ukraine are left clinging to hope amid heartbreak. “America has a lot of leverage,” said Oksana Kinal, who lost a colleague and their son. “But will Putin listen? I don’t know.”
Written By Rodney Mbua
