President Zelensky isn’t mincing words. After a brutal Russian strike killed at least 31 people in Kyiv, including five children, he is calling out the world. In his eyes, more needs to be done. The Ukrainian president is asking the U.S., Europe, and other allies to crank up sanctions now, not later.

This was one of the deadliest attacks since Russia’s invasion began in 2022. Over 300 drones and eight cruise missiles hammered the capital. An apartment building collapsed. Hospitals, schools, and universities took heavy damage. A two-year-old child was among the dead. In total, 159 people were hurt, 16 of them children.

According to the Ukrainian president, sanctions do have teeth. Despite what the Kremlin says, they hit Russia’s economy hard. But he says it is not enough. In his words, “every day matters.” Waiting gives Putin more room to strike, putting more lives at risk.

World Bank / Instagram / Zelensky believes that real pressure, cutting off oil profits, choking supply lines, and blocking banks, can force Russia to pull back.

He wants the world to stop treating the war like background noise and start treating it like the emergency it is.

Russia Ramps Up, Ukraine Strikes Back

July was brutal. Russia launched over 5,100 glide bombs, 3,800 Shahed drones, and 260 missiles in just one month. The July 31 strike was part of that wave. Moscow is now hitting more civilian targets, like rescue workers and shelters, with brutal consistency.

However, Ukraine is not sitting idle. They have hit back with drones of their own, including a strike on a Russian electronics plant in Penza that builds combat systems. These are not just symbolic hits. They are designed to disrupt Russia’s war machine and send a message.

Trump, Germany React as Pressure Builds

Even Donald Trump, not known for soft words, called the attacks “disgusting.” He hinted at fresh sanctions, especially on Russian oil and secondary markets. Earlier, he gave Putin a deadline to end the war. That deadline? It expired today.

Germany also stepped up. They have pledged two more Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine. Those systems have proven critical in protecting major cities from drone and missile attacks. Every piece of defense equipment helps buy time and save lives.

The scenes from Kyiv are haunting. Survivors said they were “hurled out of buildings” by the blast. First responders raced to pull people from the rubble. Many didn’t make it. Ukraine marked a day of mourning.

GTN / Zelensky warned that silence from allies only fuels Putin’s aggression. If the world looks away now, he said, it sends the wrong message.

His Russian counterpart sees hesitation as weakness. And weakness invites more attacks.

Sanctions Are the Front Line Now

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha put it bluntly: Moscow won’t stop unless it is forced to. He said the country needs “maximum pressure” from the global community—not vague promises, but real economic pain. That means freezing Russian assets, banning critical exports, and punishing companies helping the Kremlin sidestep restrictions.

Zelensky echoed that. He is urging countries to treat Russia’s financial system like a threat. Every drone strike, every missile launch, costs money. Cut off the money, and you cut off the attacks.