During an overnight attack, Russian drones and missiles resulted in the deaths of at least 14 civilians and injured many more, according to local officials. Nine fatalities were reported from Kiev, where part of an apartment building partially collapsed.
This incident coincided with Ukrainian President Voldy Mir Zelensky’s visit to Britain, where he made an in-person meeting with Charles III.
The Ukrainian Air Force noted that Russia unleashed a barrage of 352 drones—including decoys—along with 11 ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles. Thankfully, air defense managed to intercept 339 drones and 15 missiles before they could hit their targets.
Later that same day, a Russian missile strike destroyed a high school in Ukraine’s South Odesa region, tragically killing two staff members. Fortunately, no children were on-site since it was summer break, as mentioned by Zelensky.
This strike occurred nearly a week after another Russian attack in Kiev resulted in 28 deaths, including 23 people in residential buildings that collapsed following direct hits. Additionally, Russia targeted private areas with long-range strikes, seemingly aimed at undermining Ukraine’s morale.
“All of Murderers”
The Russian military has been attempting to advance deep into Ukraine as part of a summer operation along a 620-mile frontline. However, the War Institute suggests such efforts have not yielded significant gains.
A report from a Washington think tank indicated that the Russian military relies heavily on inadequately trained infantry, which faces challenges against Ukraine’s drone-based defense.
In Zelensky’s view, preliminary information revealed that Russian forces utilized North Korean missiles in the recent Kyiv strike. He condemned the partnership between Russia, North Korea, and Iran, calling it a “coalition of murderers.”
Zelensky highlighted that discussions around new defensive strategies for Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia would be primary topics during his UK visit. He had lunch with King Charles III, as announced by Buckingham Palace, and later met with Prime Minister Kiel Starmer ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.
The drone crashed into a hospital or residential area.
Emergency services reported that drones and missiles struck residential neighborhoods, hospitals, and sports facilities across various districts in Kiev.
The Shevchen Kibsky district suffered the most severe damage, where a portion of a five-story apartment building collapsed.
Kiev’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko indicated that nine fatalities occurred in that district. Ten people, including pregnant women, were rescued from adjacent buildings. The attack also caused significant damage to nearby vehicles from flying shrapnel.
Oleksii Pozychaniuk, a 29-year-old resident of a neighboring building, recounted the harrowing moment he heard the missile approach. He said he froze in fear before the impact. “The windows exploded, and glass was flying everywhere,” he recounted, adding that they barely escaped with his children as everything around them caught fire.
Rescue efforts were underway as Klitschko mentioned they were searching for any survivors.
The Russian offensive also impacted the entrance to Kiev’s Sviatsin metro station, resulting in minor injuries for two people, according to Timur Tokachenko, the head of Kiev’s junta. Overall, more than 30 injuries were reported across the city.
The underground metro stations often serve as shelters during air attacks, with many people seeking refuge there nearly every night during such strikes.
French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barott condemned the recent attacks as a clear example of Russia’s “unlimited atrocities” against civilians, pledging further European sanctions against Moscow.
A long process for identifying returned remains
In other news from Ukraine, a drone attack led to two deaths and ten injuries in the Chernichv area late Sunday, with three of the injured being children, as reported by regional government head Viacheslav Chaus.
Another fatality and eight more injuries were reported in Vila Tserkva, roughly 53 miles southwest of the capital.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have downed 23 Ukrainian drones overnight on Monday.
Ukrainian Home Minister Ihol Klimenko indicated it may take at least a year to identify the bodies of thousands of soldiers taken by Russia and clarify whether some were mistakenly included in military exchanges. Zelensky noted that Russia had counted at least 20 deceased soldiers in their recent swap with Ukraine, while Klimenko mentioned that five bodies were suspected to be Russian, awaiting testing.
