Russian strike on August 28: rescue operations in Kyiv completed, 25 people killed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this.

As of 7:11 p.m. on August 29, the president reported that the death toll had risen to 25.

As Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported, rescue operations at the site of the Russian strike on a residential building in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district have concluded. Clearance of the destroyed structures is currently underway.

"As of now, 22 people are known to have been killed at this single impact site, including four children. The youngest girl was not even three years old. My condolences to the families and loved ones of the dead. In total that night the Russians killed 23 people in Kyiv. The fate of 8 people remains unknown," Zelenskyy said.

He also reported that another 53 people were wounded. All of them have received the necessary assistance.

"I thank the rescuers, police officers, doctors and nurses, all municipal and emergency services, everyone involved in helping people. Russia must be held accountable for this strike, as well as for all other strikes on our state, our people, and on every effort by the world to end this war. When, instead of diplomacy, Russia chooses ballistic weapons, continues to modernize Shahed drones for killing, and develops cooperation with actors such as North Korea, it means the world must respond accordingly," the president stressed.

He added that strong sanctions, sustained pressure and decisive steps are needed so the killers do not feel immune. 

"Russia understands only force, and displays of force are needed now. The United States, Europe and the G20 countries have that power," he said.

Attack on Kyiv on August 28

As of 5:53 p.m., the death toll has risen to 19. Search and rescue operations continue in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district.

According to State Emergency Service (SES) spokesperson Svitlana Vodolaha, search operations continue in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district as of 4:00 p.m. Ten people remain unaccounted for, and there is still no final figure on how many may be trapped under the rubble.

“A woman came, looking for her father and his wife. They are not on the list of the living or the missing. Their details were recorded, and the search continues. We also spoke with a woman who had left her two children with her parents while she went on a night shift… Her father was badly injured and is now in hospital, while her mother and the children were unharmed. The child who died, she said, was with her mother at the time. Whether this is accurate will be determined by law enforcement… Of course, people are in shock, everyone reacts differently, but in such residential areas, people usually know each other,” Vodolaha said.

She added that about 200 rescuers and 59 units of primary and specialized equipment have been deployed at the site to deal with the aftermath of the Russian strike.

“This figure only accounts for rescuers, since a large amount of municipal equipment and other services are also working here. As for risks, rescuers are always exposed to danger. There is always the risk of structures collapsing. And that’s not even mentioning the threat during air raid alerts of repeat strikes. At the very beginning, rescuers arrived under fire and pulled people out under shelling — that in itself was a huge risk. Now the main danger is collapse, but rescuers use special equipment to monitor the movement of structures, and if uncontrolled shifts occur, they are alerted immediately. Appropriate measures are then taken depending on the situation,” the spokesperson explained.

As of 2:51 p.m., another body had been recovered from the rubble. The death toll has risen to 18.

As of 2:30 p.m., the Russian attack on Kyiv has claimed at least 17 lives. Kyiv City Military Administration head Timur Tkachenko reported that the deceased include several children, with ten minors among the injured. Rescue teams continue clearing debris in the Darnytskyi district, where search and rescue operations remain ongoing.

As of 11:35 a.m., 14 people had died in Kyiv from the Russian night attack, including three children, according to Svitlana Vodolaha, spokesperson for the State Emergency Service, in a comment to Espreso correspondent Kateryna Halka.

"One child was pulled from the rubble, two children died in the hospital. The youngest was not yet 3 years old," Vodolaha said. She noted that exact numbers are difficult to calculate due to unidentified bodies and body parts.

“We are working very quickly and very carefully, assuming that there may be people under the rubble,” Vodolaha added.

At 11:45 a.m., Kyiv Military-Civil Administration head Timur Tkachenko reported that 38 people were injured, including six minors, and are receiving medical assistance.

“The search and rescue operation in the Darnytskyi district is ongoing. We are verifying and clarifying information about the victims, as there may still be people under the rubble. Unfortunately, the data on the victims is not final,” Tkachenko said.

At 10:58 a.m., Ukraine’s Interior Ministry reported that rescuers had recovered three more bodies from the rubble of a multi-story building in Kyiv, raising the death toll from the Russian night attack to 13.

“As of 10:55 a.m., 12 people were killed in a strike on a residential building in the Darnytskyi district, and 1 in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Among the deceased are three children, aged 2, 14, and 17. One child was rescued at the site, while two died in hospital from severe injuries,” the Ministry said. Another 10 people remain missing.

Search and rescue operations continue at the strike sites. Mobile units from the Migration Service and service centers have arrived to help residents replace lost documents.

Kyiv Military-Civil Administration head Tymur Tkachenko confirmed the deaths, emphasizing that three of the victims were children. Espreso correspondent Kateryna Halko noted that Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated the youngest victim was 3 years old. Klitschko also said a dormitory housing over 200 people was damaged, and rescue teams are still clearing debris.

“This is genocide. There is no reasonable explanation for why a peaceful city is being destroyed and why people are being killed. There is only one explanation — to drive all Ukrainians into depression, to break their spirit of resistance. And this is happening while the Russians talk about peace negotiations, restoring peace, and ending the war,” Klitschko emphasized.

As of 8:30 a.m., 10 people were confirmed dead, including a 14-year-old girl, and 48 injured, Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said.

“Twenty-four victims suffered injuries of varying severity. At least five children between the ages of 7 and 17 are among the victims. Two brothers, aged 10 and 18, were wounded: the younger was hospitalized. A 17-year-old teenager was also injured,” he reported.

A shopping mall and more than 20 locations across the capital were damaged. “Overall, the consequences are terrible. High-rise buildings, private houses, kindergartens, and hundreds of cars have been destroyed or damaged. The Darnytskyi district has suffered the most,” said Espreso correspondent Kateryna Halka.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that body parts were recovered from rubble:

“A newly formed special mobile unit of the State Emergency Service, Delta, is working at one of the locations. Three people were rescued alive. There is a high probability that others remain under the ruins.”

Around 500 rescuers and 1,000 police officers are involved in operations.

Telegraf photographer Yan Dobronosov, speaking on Espreso TV, described the night as “probably the laudest in the entire period.”

“All night, starting around 9 p.m., drones were flying, and from 3 a.m. missiles — including Kinzhal missiles and others — were actively launched. It was terrifying; smoke was rising in almost every district of the capital. In the morning, I was near the house again — by now it feels almost familiar — but the entire stairwell had collapsed. There were people trapped under the rubble. Right in front of my eyes they pulled out a child, probably a girl — I can’t say for certain. It was heartbreaking,” Dobronosov said.

Espreso correspondent Kateryna Halko, reporting from Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, said that search and rescue operations are underway at the site of the strikes, while firefighters continue to extinguish the fire.

“Overall, the consequences are devastating in many districts of Kyiv. More than 20 locations across the capital have been damaged, including destroyed apartment blocks, private houses, kindergartens, surrounding areas, and hundreds of cars hit by falling debris. But the Darnytskyi district has suffered the most. In addition to this five-story building, a 16-story building, a private house, and other structures were also damaged,” she said.

Halko later reported that search and rescue work continues near the damaged five-story building. “The operation is ongoing. People are gathering nearby, waiting anxiously for news of relatives and friends. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, who visited the site this morning, confirmed that it was a direct strike by an enemy missile. Fragments have already been recovered and will be examined to identify the type of missile used. All relevant services will provide updates later. It is also known that the strike hit the third and fourth floors of the building’s third entrance. A newly created unit of the State Emergency Service, trained in rescuing people from under rubble, is also working at the site,” the journalist reported.

Consequences of the attack in Kyiv

At 3:00 a.m., the Ukrainian capital came under ballistic missile strikes.

A few minutes later, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that medical teams had been dispatched to the Dniprovskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, Darnytskyi, and Desnianskyi districts of the city.

As of 4:00 a.m. in the Darnytskyi district, two residential buildings have been damaged, a fire has broken out in a non-residential structure, and private houses have also been hit. Drones have struck several multi-story buildings. Search and rescue operations are currently underway under the rubble of a destroyed five-story building.

In the Dniprovskyi district, debris fell on a three-story office building, causing a fire. Fires also broke out in a 25-story and a 9-story residential building. Additionally, debris landed on a kindergarten’s grounds, resulting in a fire, and cars were burning in a parking lot.

In the Shevchenkivskyi district, a non-residential building and a school facility were damaged, and an office building was also affected.

In the Sviatoshynskyi district, a Russian drone fell into the yard of a nine-story residential building, but no damage was reported.

In the Solomianskyi district, a fire in a private house was extinguished, while in the Desnianskyi district, debris fell, causing damage.

In the Dniprovskyi district, debris struck a kindergarten, a fire broke out in a 25-story building, and cars are burning. A fire also occurred in a nine-story residential building.

In the Darnytskyi district, preliminary reports indicate that a five-story building was destroyed from the first to the fifth floor. Drones fell on the roof of a nine-story building, causing a fire.

In the Holosiivskyi district, a residential building was damaged.

Zelenskyy’s response

“We expect a reaction from China to what is going on. China has repeatedly called for not expanding the war and for a ceasefire. Yet this is not happening because of Russia. We expect a reaction from Hungary. The death of children should definitely stir far greater emotions than anything else. We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions. And it is definitely time for new, tough sanctions against Russia for everything it is doing. All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined. Russia must feel accountable for every strike, for every day of this war. Eternal memory to all victims of Russia!” he wrote.

August 27

 At 9:42 p.m., Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that air defense forces are operating on the left bank of the capital.

At 10:32 p.m., the head of the Kyiv Military-Civil Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, reported that a complete drone was recorded falling in the Sviatoshynskyi district.

“Preliminarily, there are no damages or casualties. Services are on their way to the site,” he wrote.

At the same time, Russian troops attacked civilian rail traffic, including the Intercity+ high-speed train fleet, Ukrzaliznytsia reported.

“Thanks to the coordinated actions of railway workers — depot staff — the fire at the facility was extinguished. One train was significantly damaged. Workers had taken shelter in advance and are safe,” the statement said.

Due to damage to the rail infrastructure at the Koziatyn junction, several trains are still operating on altered routes.