Death toll from Russian strike on Kyiv rises to 31, including five children, as rescue operation is completed

The death toll from Russia’s massive overnight attack on Kyiv on July 30–31 has risen to 31, including five children, according to official reports from Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Emergency Service, and Kyiv authorities.

Emergency workers recovered 10 bodies from the rubble of a residential building in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district, including a two-year-old child, State Emergency Service spokesperson Oleksandr Khorunzhyi said during a national broadcast.

Kyiv City Military Administration Head Tymur Tkachenko reported that the number of dead has risen to 31.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later confirmed that five of the victims were children, calling the attack one of the deadliest against Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

In addition to those killed, 159 people were injured, including 16 children, officials said.

The overnight barrage was part of a wider Russian assault involving over 300 drones and missiles, with Kyiv taking the brunt of the attack. Emergency crews continue to work at several affected sites across the capital.

Russian jet-powered kamikaze drone is a big problem for Ukraine

The Russian jet-powered Shahed-238 kamikaze drone, also known as Geran-3, poses a significant threat to Ukraine due to its advanced capabilities, making it difficult to intercept. Unlike the earlier propeller-driven Shahed-136, the Shahed-238 operates at higher speeds (up to 600 km/h) and altitudes (up to 9.1 km), rendering it less vulnerable to conventional air defense systems like small arms or anti-aircraft guns. Its speed and flight path resemble those of cruise missiles, forcing Ukraine to use costly anti-aircraft missiles, such as Patriot, to counter them, which depletes limited ammunition reserves. Additionally, Russia has significantly increased production of these drones, enabling large-scale attacks that overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, placing further strain on civilian populations and infrastructure.

Ukraine is actively countering this threat by developing new interceptors and enhancing air defense systems, but it faces challenges due to Russian attacks on production facilities and supply chain disruptions. Reports suggest that the Shahed-238, likely based on Iranian technology, is manufactured in Russia using components, including Chinese engines, complicating international sanctions. While Ukraine successfully downs a significant portion of these drones (up to 80% by some estimates), their sheer volume and combined use with cruise and ballistic missiles create a complex challenge. To effectively counter this threat, Ukraine needs more cost-effective solutions, such as laser-based systems, and international support to restrict the supply of components for Russian drone production.

Putin says that he is ready to end the war on his conditions of June 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he would be ready to end the war only on the conditions that he announced in June 2024.

On June 14, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined conditions for starting peace negotiations with Ukraine. His demands included two primary points: Ukraine's formal refusal to join NATO and the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from all territories claimed by Russia — specifically, the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. This would mean ceding control of major cities still under Ukrainian control, such as Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, and Pokrovsk.

Putin also insisted that Ukraine officially recognize what he called the "new territorial realities" — acknowledging Crimea, along with the four partially occupied regions, as part of the Russian Federation.

Beyond territorial concessions, Russia demanded the “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine, a neutral and non-aligned status with no nuclear weapons, the protection of Russian-speaking communities in Ukraine, and the lifting of all Western sanctions imposed on Russia.

These conditions were widely dismissed by Kyiv and its Western allies as unrealistic and equivalent to Ukraine's surrender.

So Putin's ultimatum for Ukraine hasn`t changed....