The heartbreaking search in Kyiv is finally over. Overnight, rescuers pulled more bodies from the wreckage of a collapsed apartment building, forcing them to conclude their work. The final death toll from Thursday’s Russian missile and drone attack now stands at 31.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said five children were among the dead, including a two-year-old. The strike, which began early Thursday, was Russia’s deadliest attack on the capital this year.
The assault was massive: a relentless barrage of over 300 drones and eight missiles. It left a brutal toll, with Ukrainian authorities saying 159 people were hurt. In the Sviatoshyn district, the damage was catastrophic—a whole chunk of an apartment block was torn away. And that was just the worst of it, as other districts began reporting damage too.
At the site, excavators worked to lift massive slabs of debris while mourners placed flowers and children’s toys near the wreckage.
“I lost a co-worker and her little boy,” said Oksana Kinal, 43, as she left a bouquet of lilies. “I hope the threats to Russia become real. But will Putin care? I’m not sure.”
President Trump blasted Russia’s actions as “disgusting” on Thursday and gave Vladimir Putin an ultimatum: reach a deal by August 8, or face serious economic consequences. The threat marks Trump’s toughest line yet against Moscow, coming at a time when diplomatic efforts to end the war are completely dead in the water.
Some Ukrainians expressed skepticism about Washington’s resolve. Sitting outside the damaged building, 65-year-old Natalia Matviyenko shrugged at Trump’s statements. “He says he is upset. And then what? Nothing changes.”
Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed over 6,000 drones and missiles in July, yet the intensity of strikes has not slowed. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted on X that the world has the tools to hold Russia accountable. “What is lacking is not power, but will,” she wrote.
Rescuers officially concluded their search in Sviatoshyn on Friday. In their absence, a small memorial has taken root in front of the wrecked apartment block—flowers, candles, and toys marking the devastating human cost of another day of war.
