Air-defense systems successfully repelled what officials called "the most massive attack of 2024" on the Ukrainian capital as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Kyiv's Western partners to make "bold decisions" and deliver enough resources that will allow Ukraine to fully protect its skies from Russian attacks.
Ukraine's Air Force said on July 31 that its air defenses destroyed all 89 drones launched at the capital, as well as an X-59 guided missile, during an air-raid alert that lasted for more than seven hours.
Russian drones attacked Kyiv in two waves coming from all directions.
"This is one of the most massive drone attacks," the commander of Ukraine's Air Force, General Mykola Oleschuk, wrote on Telegram.
The attack was the seventh launched on Kyiv this month, Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, said, adding that there were no casualties or damage in Kyiv.
Zelenskiy, in a message on X, called the repelling of the attack "an important result" and proof that "Ukrainians can fully protect their skies from Russian strikes when they have sufficient resources."
Zelenskiy reiterated his appeal to Ukraine's allies to keep sending the badly needed armaments to defend its cities and missiles that will allow it to strike deeper into Russia.
"Sufficiently bold decisions by partners are needed -- enough anti-aircraft systems, enough long-range. And Ukrainians will do everything correctly and accurately," Zelenskiy wrote.
Hours later there were reports that Ukraine has received the first F-16 fighter jets after pushing for them for more than a year. U.S. officials confirmed the deliver to the Associated Press and Bloomberg.
The United States and some of its NATO allies have been training Ukrainian pilots on how to fly the jets, and there have been indications that their arrival was imminent.
During the NATO summit in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on July 10 that the transfer of F-16 jets to Ukraine was under way. He said the jets were arriving from Denmark and the Netherlands.
Ukraine has said F-16s are needed to fight back against Russian missiles. Its Western allies have gone ahead with delivery despite concern that arming Ukraine with advanced weaponry would further escalate the war.
Russian shelling on July 31 also killed at least four people in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Kherson regions, local officials said.
One resident was killed in the town of Toretsk, Donetsk regional Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on July 31, while in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov reported that two civilians were killed by Russian artillery over the past 24 hours.
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In the southern city of Kherson, one person was killed and one was wounded by Russian shelling from across the Dnieper River, the head of the city's military administration, Roman Mrochko, reported.
Kherson was liberated by Ukrainian troops in November 2022, but Russian forces that withdrew across the Dnieper continue to pound the city on a daily basis, causing victims among civilians and damaging infrastructure.
Since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Moscow's forces have systematically targeted Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure facilities, causing casualties and huge damage.
In turn, Ukraine has started targeting oil-refining facilities and other energy infrastructure inside Russia that mainly work for the military.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on July 31 that its air defenses had destroyed 19 Ukrainian drones that attacked five of its regions as well as the Moscow-occupied Ukrainian region of Crimea.
"Air-defense systems intercepted and destroyed 11 drones over Belgorod, 4 over Bryansk, one each over the Kursk, Kaluga, and Rostov regions," and one in Crimea," the ministrysaid in a message on Telegram.
