Kyiv apartment block strike marks the deadliest attack on Ukraine’s capital since 2024

The death toll from a Russian strike on Kyiv has risen to 31, Ukrainian officials confirmed Friday. Most of the victims died when a missile hit a nine-story apartment block in the western Sviatoshynskyi district.

Rescue crews recovered at least 28 bodies from the rubble, including five children. The State Emergency Service reported that 159 people were also wounded.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called it the worst single-night injury toll for children since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.

“This is the highest number of injured children in one night in Kyiv,” he said.

More than 100 emergency workers responded, clearing over 2,000 tons of debris as they searched for survivors.

The attack occurred around 5 a.m. local time Thursday. Residents were sleeping when the missile struck. Veronika, 23, was blown from the ninth floor.

“I was just sleeping,” she said from her hospital bed. “I woke up atop the rubble downstairs.” She is now recovering from a broken leg.

The apartment block was one of dozens of locations targeted in the overnight barrage. Kyiv’s military chief, Tymur Tkachenko, described the strike as a “direct hit.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the assault and urged tougher international sanctions on Moscow.

“Once again, this vile strike by Russia demonstrates the need for increased pressure on Moscow,” Zelensky said. “Sanctions do work – and they must be strengthened.”

He said Russia launched over 5,100 glide bombs, 3,800 drones, and 260 missiles in July alone.

Other regions were also hit. A missile struck a five-story building in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, killing three people. Overnight attacks into Friday killed another three civilians and injured 27 across the country.

U.S. President Donald Trump responded to the escalation by shortening Russia’s window to negotiate a ceasefire. He warned that failing to do so would result in stronger sanctions.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that his forces are advancing along the entire front. He maintained that Russia’s war goals remain unchanged, despite talk of peace.

Putin said he remains open to talks, but he repeated that Russia would continue pursuing its objectives.

Zelensky again expressed readiness for high-level peace negotiations.

“If these are signals of a genuine willingness to end the war with dignity,” Zelensky said, “Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to meet at the level of leaders at any time.”

He warned, however, that Ukraine would not accept delays disguised as diplomacy.

Russian aerial attacks have intensified sharply in 2025. Experts say Moscow now relies heavily on swarms of cheap drones and frequent missile strikes.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies said the gap between large-scale attacks has narrowed. The interval has dropped from monthly to every few days.

Nightly drone and missile strikes are now a common reality across Ukraine. The latest attack in Kyiv, the deadliest in a year, highlights the growing cost of Russia’s ongoing campaign.

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