THE true horror of Russia’s missile onslaught on innocent civilians in Kyiv became clear early today as the death toll rose 31, including five children. 

Donald Trump branded Vladimir Putin’s tactics “disgusting” as rescuers worked through the night to search for any survivors and pull bodies from the ruins. 

“The youngest child was only two years old. My condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased. 159 people were injured, 16 of them children,”  said President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Once again, such a vile strike by Russia shows that additional pressure on Moscow and sanctions are necessary.

“No matter how much the Kremlin denies their effectiveness, they work and must be stronger – hitting everything that allows such strikes to continue. 

“And it is very important that the world does not remain silent about them.

“I thank everyone who has supported our people. We appreciate that President Trump, European leaders, and our other partners clearly see what is happening and condemn Russia.”

The US revealed secret backchannel talks with Putin’s henchmen in recent days have failed to reverse the dictator’s refusal to stop the killing. 

Despite this, Trump is sending his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow in a bid for a ceasefire ahead of swingeing sanctions being imposed on Russia when a ten day ultimatum expires on August 8.

Ten bodies including a dead child were found overnight in the ruins of the collapsed residential tower which was hit by a £2 million Iskander missile in the Svyatoshynskyi district of Kyiv on Thursday. 

Another woman was pulled from the rubble this morning, the 24th fatality at this location. 

In all, the death toll from Putin’s strikes on the Ukrainian capital was put at 28 with 159 injured, including 16 children.

Today was declared a day of mourning in Kyiv. 

A total of 112 people needed help from psychologists after the savage strike by a hi-tech missile against a civilian target. 

More than 2,000 tons of rubble was cleared as the hunt for residents of the apartment building continued. 

Among the dead was patrol policewoman Liliya Stepanchuk, buried under the rubble of the apartment block.

A police statement said: “The terrorist country [Russia] purposefully kills civilians, strikes at the homes of Ukrainians and mercilessly takes lives…

“Until the last minute, relatives and friends hoped for a miracle… But, unfortunately, there was no miracle.”

Among the survivors was a girl who fell 100ft on her bed from her ninth floor flat, breaking a leg and losing a tooth, as a result of the missile strike. 

Speaking in hospital, Veronika said she did not know the fate of her parents. 

Putin continued the strikes early today, with two children injured on a strike on a house in Dnipropetrovsk region, where a woman, 35, was also wounded. 

A large-scale fire erupted in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region after a strike, while a man, 63, was killed in a strike on Zaporizhzhia region. 

Ukraine hit Russian port Taganrog, on the Azov Sea, and Putin-controlled Luhansk region. 

“Russia – I think it’s disgusting what they are doing,” said Trump.

“I think it is disgusting……I think what Russia is doing is very sad.”

He vowed to put sanctions on Putin next week unless a ceasefire was called, stressing the dictator’s war was killing more Russians than Ukrainians.  

“A lot of Russians are dying. You have a lot of Russians – more Russians. But Russians are dying, Ukrainians are dying.”

But he admitted the sanctions may not halt Putin’s relentless warmongering.  

“We’re gonna put sanctions. I don’t know that sanctions bother him….I don’t know if that has any effect.”

Meanwhile, Witkoff will fly from Israel to Moscow, he announced. 

His secretary of state Marco Rubio revealed backchannel talks, saying: “We continue to engage with the Russian side….earlier this week on Monday or Tuesday.

“We had a whole conversation with them as well – not with Putin but with some of Putin’s top people – in hopes of arriving at some understanding on a path forward that would lead to peace.”

But he admitted: “We’ve not seen any progress on that.”

Meanwhile, Russia sought to tell its people they are under threat from the West, with hardline foreign minister Sergei Lavrov absurdly suggesting his country was threatened by a new “Fourth Reich” in Germany and Europe. 

He turned on its head the West’s concern about Putin’s potential threat, and the need for NATO countries to increase defence spending. 

“Today, Europe has practically plunged into a Russophobic frenzy, and its militarisation is becoming, in fact, uncontrollable,” said Lavrov, 75.

The EU announced plans “to collect 800 billion euros allegedly for defence needs. 

“And recently, the German Chancellor [Friedrich Merz] has allowed himself to speak out on this issue more than anyone else, calling for arming Germany, addressing the issue of universal military service, and again – apparently as before the First and Second World Wars – creating the strongest regular army in Europe. 

“The German Defence Minister [Boris Pistorius] is not far behind, having dared to declare his readiness to kill Russian soldiers. 

“Direct historical parallels suggest themselves: modern Germany, and indeed all of Europe under the current leaders, are degenerating into something like the ‘Fourth Reich’.

“The situation is more than alarming.”

The girl who fell 100ft said from her hospital bed: “I fell from the ninth floor. 

“I just had a broken leg and a tooth was knocked  out. 

“I was conscious, I was just sleepy and didn’t understand what was happening. 

“I heard an explosion and a second later I was on the ground. 

“I don’t know how it happened. 

“How could I fly nine floors and be left with just a broken leg? 

“Most likely, I was actually sitting on the bed and just fell with it.

“I guess that’s why I didn’t hit myself, because the bed is soft.”

But she said:  “I don’t know what happened to my father, what happened to my mother. 

“I don’t know where they are yet. What happened to them?”

In July the Russians used over 5,100 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine, more than 3,800 ‘Shaheds [drones], and almost 260 missiles of various types, including 128 ballistic missiles, he said.  

In Kherson, the Russians killed a mother outside her home. 

Her three daughters are now in shock.  

A regional administration spokesman said: “At around 6:40 a.m., the occupation forces struck the Dnipro district of Kherson with artillery. 

“A woman born in 1974 received injuries incompatible with life.”