Zelenskyy: Russia launched 300 drones in "demonstrative" strike on Kyiv

Russia launched more than 300 drones and at least eight missiles in a coordinated assault that primarily targeted the capital, Kyiv, overnight on July 31, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated.

According to the president’s statement on Telegram, the main objective of the strike was to inflict maximum damage on the capital’s civilian infrastructure, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media. 

Emergency services, including firefighters, medics, and rescue workers, have been operating at full capacity since the attacks began after nightfall. According to Zelenskyy, the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Kyiv were affected, but Kyiv bore the brunt of the bombardment.

The attack left a trail of destruction across several districts of the capital. In one residential area, an entire stairwell of a high-rise apartment building was obliterated. Authorities have so far confirmed six fatalities, including a six-year-old boy and his mother. Dozens of others sustained injuries and are receiving medical care.

President Zelenskyy said the attack once again demonstrated Russia's hostility toward Ukraine’s efforts to secure peace through dialogue with Western partners. He stated that the latest assault was a “demonstrative” response to Ukraine’s ongoing diplomatic overtures toward the United States and Europe. 

He stressed that peace cannot be achieved without defensive strength and urged Ukraine's international partners to implement all existing agreements aimed at enhancing Ukraine’s security.

Zelenskyy emphasised that the US and Europe have the necessary tools to pressure Moscow into negotiations and expressed hope that their commitments would translate into action.

In the early hours of July 31, Kyiv was hit by a wave of missiles and Iranian-made kamikaze drones. The Svyatoshinsky and Solomensky districts suffered the most significant damage, though strikes also hit areas of Goloseevsky and Shevchenko.

By Sabina Mammadli