Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the international community to impose stricter sanctions on Russia following a devastating attack on Kyiv that resulted in the deaths of at least 31 individuals. Among the casualties were five children, the youngest being just two years old, and a total of 159 people were injured, including 16 children, during the assault on the Ukrainian capital on Thursday.
Zelensky emphasized the importance of sanctions, stating,
“No matter how much the Kremlin denies their effectiveness, sanctions do work – and they must be strengthened.”
The attack, which caused the collapse of an apartment building and inflicted damage on a hospital, school, nursery, and university, prompted Kyiv to observe a day of mourning.
Details of the assault and international reactions
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched more than 300 drones and eight cruise missiles in this assault, marking it as one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv since the onset of the large-scale invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022. In response to these events, US President Donald Trump condemned Russia’s actions, labeling them as
“disgusting”
and indicating that new sanctions against Moscow could be forthcoming.
Earlier in July, Trump had given Putin a deadline of 50 days to end the war, warning that failure to do so would lead to severe tariffs on Russian oil and other exports. Recently, he reiterated a new timeline, setting a “10 or 12” day deadline for a resolution, which would expire on August 8.
Calls for negotiations and international support
During a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Senior US diplomat John Kelley stated that both Russia and Ukraine must come to the table to negotiate a ceasefire and a sustainable peace, asserting,
“It is time to make a deal.”
In an encouraging development, Ukrainian officials revealed on Friday that they had received positive signals from the US regarding potential new sanctions targeting Russian oil and secondary markets.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha acknowledged Trump’s support, noting that he has been “generous and patient”, but emphasized that now is the moment for maximum pressure to be exerted on Moscow. Concurrently, Germany announced its intention to supply two additional US-made Patriot air defense systems in the near future.
Zelensky also reported that in July alone, Russia had unleashed over 5,100 glide bombs, 3,800 Shahed drones, and 260 missiles, including 128 ballistic missiles. He remarked,
“Every day matters. This can only be stopped through joint efforts – by America, Europe, and other global actors.”