Death toll from Russian strike on Kyiv climbs to 31 updated

Russian forces launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Kyiv during the night of July 31.

Cleanup operations are underway in the city as the death toll has climbed to 31, according to RBC-Ukraine, which cited Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, and the Kyiv police.

“Search operations continued throughout the night and are still ongoing. Rescuers are currently recovering bodies in the Svyatoshinsky district and have freed three more people,” Tkachenko said. “As of now, 31 people have died due to the Russian strike on the night of July 31.”

10:02

As of the morning of August 1, the number of fatalities resulting from the Russian attack on Kyiv during the night of July 31 has increased to 28, according to the State Emergency Service.

Rescue teams have recovered the body of an additional victim from the rubble.

Emergency operations continue in the Svyatoshinsky district, where approximately 70% of the collapsed building debris has been cleared so far.

9:10

The number of victims from the Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv on the night of July 31 has risen to 27, including three children. Among the latest victims recovered was a two-year-old child.

This update was reported by the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media.

"During the night and into the morning, rescuers pulled 10 more bodies from the rubble of a residential building in Kyiv's Svyatoshynskyi district, including that of a two-year-old child," the SES stated.

As of the morning of August 1, a total of 159 people are known to have been injured in the attack, among them 16 children. Psychologists from the SES have provided assistance to 112 individuals affected by the strike.

Cleanup operations at the site remain ongoing. Over 2,000 tons of debris have been removed, and 180 emergency personnel with 60 units of equipment have been deployed to carry out the rescue and recovery work.

The assault on Kyiv was part of a massive overnight attack carried out by Russian forces, which launched a total of 309 strike drones and eight Iskander-K cruise missiles. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the capital was the primary target of the offensive.

Emergency services—firefighters, medics, and rescue crews—have been operating nonstop since the strikes began after nightfall.

In addition to Kyiv, the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Sumy, and Mykolaiv were also hit by Russian drones and missiles. However, Kyiv sustained the most severe damage, particularly in the Svyatoshynskyi district, where a stairwell of a multi-storey residential building was completely destroyed.

By Tamilla Hasanova