Russian Missile and Drone Strikes Kill Six in Kyiv, Dozens Injured

At least six people, including a 6-year-old boy, were killed and 52 others wounded following a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight, Ukrainian authorities reported on Thursday. The head of Kyiv's City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said the number of casualties could rise as rescue teams continued searching for people trapped under the rubble of a collapsed nine-story residential building.

The Ukrainian air force stated that Russia launched 309 Shahed and decoy drones, along with eight Iskander-K cruise missiles. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 288 drones and three missiles, but five missiles and 21 drones struck their targets. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that Kyiv was the main target of the attack, which also affected the Dnipro, Poltava, Sumy, and Mykolaiv regions. Zelenskyy called on Ukraine's allies to uphold defense commitments and increase pressure on Moscow for negotiations, saying, > "Today, the world once again saw Russia’s answer to our desire for peace with America and Europe. New demonstrative killings. That is why peace without strength is impossible."

In Russia, the Ministry of Defense reported shooting down 32 Ukrainian drones overnight. A drone strike caused a fire at an industrial site in the Penza region, though no casualties were reported, according to local Governor Oleg Melnichenko. In the Volgograd region, train services were disrupted after drone debris fell on railway infrastructure.

The Russian Defense Ministry also announced that its forces had taken full control of Chasiv Yar, a strategically significant city in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the claim. Ukrainian and Russian forces have fought over Chasiv Yar for nearly 18 months, with recent reports indicating ongoing clashes and contested control in parts of the city.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that he has set an August 8 deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to make progress in peace efforts, warning of punitive sanctions and tariffs if no advancement occurs.