High Death Toll In Kiev From Overnight Strikes As Russia Reports Major Advance In East

Russia launched another missile and drone strike on Ukraine’s capital overnight, killing at least eight people – which is an unusually high death toll for strikes on the city - including a 6-year-old boy and injuring over 100 others, according to Ukrainian officials’ statements on Thursday.

The casualty toll is so high as a nine-story apartment building collapsed after being hit, and ten children were among the wounded. An hours-long search has been underway by emergency crews who are picking through the rubble, hoping to locate more people alive.

“It’s a horrible morning in Kyiv,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on X. “The brutal Russian strikes destroyed entire residential buildings and damaged schools and hospitals. Civilians are injured and killed. There are still people under the rubble.”

Drones and missiles struck at least 27 sites across Kyiv Oblast and in the city in the early hours of Thursday. The death toll could likely climb, and have varied throughout the day.

“Emergency services and local officials said that more than 120 people had also been wounded in the attacks,” writes the NY Times. “Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city’s military administration, said in a statement that at least one child had been killed.”

Meanwhile Russian military gains on the ground have persisted all summer, and as of Thursday the defense minister announced the full capture of Chasiv Yar, a strategically important town in eastern Ukraine that has served as a key military and logistics hub for Ukraine forces.

The town “was liberated by Russian forces” – the defense ministry says – but Ukraine’s military has been quick to reject the claim as false.

And yet, it was already many months ago that there were widespread reports of Russian troops having established effective control of the city and some surrounding areas. But Russian flags are now reportedly going up all across the largely demolished city.

If confirmed, the fall of Chasiv Yar would likely quickly put Kramatorsk and Sloviansk within Russia’s crosshairs. Both of these cities are also significant military hubs, and home to tens of thousands of civilians. For example, Kramatorsk had a pre-war population of nearly 150,000. 

Chasiv Yar has seen fighting for nearly 500 days…

Russian forces have captured the city of Chasiv Yar, Kostyantynivka direction, Donetsk Oblast.

The battle lasted for 483 days, making it the third longest battle of the war, after Marinka (616 days), and Pervomaiske (545 days).

Pre-war population: ~14,400.
Total land area:… pic.twitter.com/QnVxZQCMWa

— AMK Mapping (@AMK_Mapping_) July 31, 2025

While Moscow long ago declared the complete liberation of Luhansk, a key priority remains capturing all cities, towns, and villages of Donetsk – after already earlier in the war declaring annexation of these territories under the Russian Federation.