War

One thousand two hundred and fifty-fourth day. Massive attack on Kyiv. 31 people killed

Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. We publish your letters in our daily materials because we are sure that we need to continue talking about the war. How do you feel about the ongoing war? How is it affecting you personally right now? How has your attitude to what is happening, to Russia, to Ukraine, to the world changed over these three years of war? Find the feedback form at the end of this article. A review of the previous day can be read here .

Ukraine

New massive attack on Kyiv: 16 dead

On the night of July 31, Russia launched a new massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine. The main target was Kyiv. Eleven people died, including a six-year-old boy, said the head of the Kyiv city military administration, Timur Tkachenko. The mayor of the city, Vitaliy Klitschko, said that 30 people were hospitalized, and another 97 received outpatient care.

Updated . As of the morning of August 1, 31 people died in Kiev.

In Kyiv, Tkachenko said, about 100 buildings were damaged, including residential buildings, schools, kindergartens and a university. In the Svyatoshinsky district, the entrance to a nine-story residential building was destroyed as a result of the strike. Debris clearing continues there now.

According to the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in total, the Russian army launched 309 drones and eight cruise missiles across Ukraine. The military recorded a direct hit from five missiles, including a residential building in Kyiv, as well as direct hits from drones in 12 places and falling debris in another 19.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiga called for increased pressure on Moscow in order to force it to a ceasefire. “It’s probably time to reset all the time frames that were given to Putin to demonstrate constructiveness. President Trump has been very generous and very patient with Putin in trying to find a solution,” Sibiga said. He called for “synchronizing all sanctions steps” and “ensuring peace through force.”

The attack on Kyiv on July 31 is the fourth time in a month that people have died in the Ukrainian capital. On the night of June 17, 28 people were killed in the city, more than 130 were injured - this attack became the largest in terms of the number of casualties in Kyiv since the start of hostilities. Until the early summer of 2025, the Russian army did not attack the Ukrainian capital with such intensity.

War through the eyes of Meduza readers

How we choose letters

Meduza's readers live in different countries and have different attitudes towards the war. We publish your letters to see this event through your eyes. Our editors try to present all points of view, even if they do not coincide with the editorial position. However, in accordance with the Meduza code, we do not publish messages that contain “hate speech,” justify the murder of civilians, or express direct support for an aggressive war.

Nadezhda (Russia). […] I am far from the front line. Drones and missiles cannot reach me. Bye. And when I read about the fatigue that my compatriots write about, in addition to pain, I feel burning shame. They are tired... You can get tired from the fear of going to bed and not waking up in a bombed-out apartment. Or wake up under rubble. Or for fear of dying while walking the dog. Or you might get tired of rising prices and disruptions in flights to the UAE or Egypt. Some have empty cabbage soup, and some have small pearls.

I have no excuse for sitting and being silent, minding my own business. Absolutely none. I'm just afraid. I'm afraid of humiliation and pain, arrest and torture.

The attitude towards Ukraine has not changed. I feel pain and sorrow for all those killed and maimed in this war. It hasn't changed for Russia either. To quote my favorite author: “Oh, Motherland, which cannot be forgiven for the blackness of its wrong deeds.”

In the third year of the war, one is still surprised by the number of scoundrels of both sexes who are being cast out in nets over Ukraine and Ukrainians. I used to think that there were more decent people in my country. Alas, I was wrong. I really want to hope that the war will end soon. But, apparently, there is no end in sight to this madness.

I really want to at least support the desperate Ukrainians with words, but I understand that my words are like a poultice to them. To sit in warmth and comfort, in safety and talk about pain, blood and dirt, is, to say the least, indecent. One Ukrainian woman on one of the forums correctly noted: “You are all worthless, good Russians!” We are all worthless.

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