To protect the lives of Ukrainians, our military must have enough long-range weapons – address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

31 July 2023 – 21:12

Dear Ukrainians!

Today at 7 p.m., the rescue operation in Kryvyi Rih on the site of the Russian missile strike was completed. It was two Iskander missiles. Ballistic missiles against a residential building. In one entrance, floors 4 through 9 were destroyed. Just against civilians, ordinary people, children. This is terrorism, which no one in the world will call otherwise.

As of now, six people are known to have been killed, including a child, a girl, her name was Darya. She was only ten years old… Her mother died with her, her name was Nataliya… An ordinary family in an ordinary city whose lives were destroyed by Russian murderers. My condolences to all those who lost their loved ones…

69 people were injured. Dozens are now in hospitals. Some of them are in serious condition. Everyone is being provided with the necessary assistance. And I thank everyone who is fighting for people’s lives! The rescue operation was difficult. Parts of the building structure were falling. There was a fire on the fourth floor. In total, more than 350 employees of the State Emergency Service, police, and utilities were involved in the rescue. Volunteers also helped. I am grateful to everyone!

Today I would like to especially mention the following employees of the State Emergency Service for the rescue operation in Kryvyi Rih: Lieutenant Vadym Kuchkurda, Junior Sergeant Volodymyr Hembichner, Petty Officer Viktor Ilika and Deputy Commander of the State Paramilitary Mining Rescue Detachment Serhiy Bytsko. Police officers: Lieutenant Colonel Mykola Harmash and Captain Roman Bondarchuk. Doctors: Vladyslav Voloshyn and Kostiantyn Isaychenkov. National Guardsmen: Sergeant Andriy Holovin, Captain Denys Tereshchenko. Utility workers Serhiy Dmytriyev and Andriy Shayda. Volunteers: Larysa Sydorenko and Viktoria Tretiak. Thank you!

It is very important when we all defend lives together and help overcome Russian terror!

According to preliminary data from our military, these two missiles were fired at Kryvyi Rih from the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, from the area of Dzhankoy. And this proves again and again that for the safety of our cities, for the protection of the normal life of Ukrainians and our children, our military must have enough long-range weapons, enough means to defeat terrorists. The world’s sanctions pressure against Russia deserves a significant increase.

And now there is more and more open information, including investigations by journalists, about how a terrorist state circumvents global sanctions and obtains critical components for weapons production. And, by the way, we have repeatedly provided such information to our partners in a classified regime.

We must act together. Significantly strengthen sanctions for terror. Significantly limit the channels of delivery of critical components for missile production to Russia. And we must respond with determination – determination to supply Ukraine with the necessary modern weapons, including long-range missiles, so that we can remove this terrorist threat that Russia is creating against our people, against our children.

Today, Russian savages also shelled Kherson. They used artillery. A police officer was killed. My condolences. Nine people were wounded, including a child and four volunteers of the City of Power NGO…

Despite any Russian terror, despite any attempts by Russia to blackmail the world, our collective strength – of everyone in the world who values life – is enough to overcome evil. Not only can we defeat the terrorist state, but we can also ensure that justice prevails. When all those responsible for terror are held accountable. But for this we need to increase our cooperation and pressure on the aggressor every day, every week, every month. And I thank everyone in the world who is doing just that!

I thank everyone who defends freedom and humanity together with Ukraine!

And, of course, our warriors. Bakhmut. The whole of Donbas, Orikhiv and all our southern positions, the border, and everyone who keeps the regions of our country calm. Our defenders of the sky.

Thank you, our heroes! We are working on new weapons for you! Together we are bringing victory closer!

Glory to Ukraine!

https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1685919969916112900

 

Monday morning. Regions of Ukraine are being shelled by the occupiers, who continue to terrorize peaceful cities and people. Kryvyi Rih, Kherson. Residential buildings, a university building, a crossroads were hit. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. There may be people under the rubble. My condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones because of Russian terror. Rescuers and all necessary services are on the ground and working. We are trying to save as many people as possible. I have already spoken to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine. Deputy Head of the Presidential Office for Regional Policy Oleksiy Kuleba and the RSA heads are already dealing with the situation. In recent days, the enemy has been stubbornly attacking cities, city centers, shelling civilian objects and housing. But this terror will not frighten us or break us. We are working and saving our people.

https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1686014164056043520

Rescue operation continues in Kryvyi Rih on the site of Russian missiles’ hits. Preliminary, two ballistic missiles. Floors four through nine of the residential building have been completely destroyed. The work is difficult – parts of the building’s structure were falling down. The terrorists also targeted the university building and the administrative building. As of now, five people are reported dead, including a child and her mother. My condolences! Dozens of people are injured and traumatized, all of them are being provided with the necessary assistance.

More than 350 people are involved in the rescue operation – I thank everyone who is saving lives and helping people!

More from Kryvyi Rih:

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1686027409789693954

https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1686045340804263936

Above a blackboard on the wall of a Kryvyi Rih university destroyed by a russian ballistic missile is an inscription: “Science is the most important, the most beautiful, and the most necessary thing in a person’s life.” russians, however, subscribe to a different set of beliefs. For them, the purpose of human existence seems to lie in sacrificing oneself in the name of a dictator and waging wars of imperialism.

Dzankhoy:

https://twitter.com/maria_avdv/status/1686098486515654656

Bakhmut:

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1685971049496662016

Staromaiorske:

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1685919547268661248

Staromaiorske remains Ukrainian. Romanov says that apparently, there was never a Russian counter-attack. Classic. “07/31/2023 Vermeevsky ledge. Staromaiorse – completely under the control of the enemy. Attempts to fight him off were only on the air – not in reality. Urozhaine has a few more days left. No more. The reason for what is happening is the complete incompetence of the command responsible for the sector.”

 

Chongar railway bridge, Russian Occupied Crimea:

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1686003663519551489

https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1686013124971823104

In connection with the confirmed damage to the Chongar railway bridge, I consider it appropriate to recall the importance of this connection for Russian military logistics.
The railroads that Russians can use to supply the entire southern front are a connection from Armiansk towards Kherson and from Dzhankoi towards Melitopil. There are no other working railways (the railway connection from the direction of Donetsk to Volnovakha does not function).
The railway from the Armiansk to Kherson is within the reach of HIMARS and therefore cannot be used effectively. Until now, the only railway road, on which the entire southern front relied, was connection between Chongar to Melitopol. But it was damaged recently and this route is not functional yet.
If it will be possible to ensure that Russians will not be able to restore this railway line, then Russian forces on the southern front would no longer be able to rely on railroad supplies.

Tatarigami brings us this new example of Russian PSYOPs:

https://twitter.com/Tatarigami_UA/status/1685889512365326336

The Washington Post has an important and timely op-ed on the cost of delay to the Ukrainians by the allies. Here are some excerpts. It is graphics and visuals heavy, so do click across:

Last September, Ukraine requested Western tanks from allies to push back against Russia’s invasion. At that time, Russia had not consolidated much of its hold on the territory it had taken. While allies debated whether or not they should send tanks, Russia began to dig in:

Sept. 4, 2022

When Ukraine first requested Western tanks, satellite images show that Russia had only started to build fortifications.

Jan. 25, 2023

By the time Ukraine finally received the tanks, half a year later, hundreds of miles of fortifications were visible from space.

Take the occupied city of Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia Oblast as an example: This is how the city looked in satellite imagery on Oct. 18, 2022.

Over the next two months, Russians set up barriers outside the major roads into the city. By Jan. 26, the entire city was surrounded by fortifications.

The pattern then repeated itself. Ukraine publicly asked for cluster munitions from the United States last winter, shortly after it had liberated the southern city of Kherson. The Biden administration delayed responding to the request. Meanwhile, this is what happened in occupied territory:

Dec. 8, 2022

When Ukraine requested U.S. cluster munitions, most of Russia’s new fortifications were concentrated near the front line.

July 6, 2023

Six months later, when Ukraine finally received the cluster munitions from the United States, Russia had fortified huge swaths of occupied eastern and southern Ukraine, along the border and throughout northern Crimea.

Without fear of Ukrainian-operated Western tanks or long-range missiles, Moscow’s soldiers were able to expand defenses close to the front line and deep within occupied territory.

These positions generally consist of trenches, anti-vehicle barriers and land mines. Michael Newton, who leads the land-mine-clearing operations in Ukraine for the HALO Trust, describes Russia’s mine-laying in occupied Ukrainian territory as taking place on an “industrial level.”

The network of fortifications consists of a primary defensive line and multiple layers of fallback positions. This means that not all of Russia’s trenches are manned, but they provide ready-made fighting positions aimed at stalling a Ukrainian advance.

Much more at the link!

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron’ tweets or videos at his TikTok feed. So here’s some Patron adjacent material:

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1686060046260772864

https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1686045842250072064

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