Kathmandu: At least eight people, including a six-year-old boy and his mother, were killed and over 130 injured in overnight Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, Ukrainian officials confirmed Thursday, as reported by the BBC.
According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, 12 children were among the injured — the highest number of child casualties in a single night in the capital since the start of the full-scale war. Multiple districts were hit, including Sviatoshynskyi and Solomyansky, where an apartment block collapse alone claimed three lives.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 309 drones and eight cruise missiles, calling it one of the most intense air assaults on the capital. While many projectiles were intercepted, several caused major destruction on the ground.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, stating, “The world has yet again seen Russia’s response to peace efforts — demonstrative murder.” He emphasized that peace is “impossible without strength.”
The strikes came despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump, who earlier this week shortened his ceasefire deadline for the Kremlin to August 8, threatening tougher sanctions.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have captured the hilltop town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk, but Ukrainian forces denied the claim, saying fighting is ongoing. Military analysts say control over Chasiv Yar could give Russia strategic advantage over key cities in the region.
Ukrainian officials continue search and rescue operations in Kyiv, where dozens remain hospitalized and several are still trapped under rubble.
-BBC