In the morning and night of 31 July, Russia launched a string of rocket and missile attacks on cities in the south and east of Ukraine.
In Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, missiles that were likely ballistic, as per Air Force Spokesman Yuriy Ihnat, struck a nine-story apartment building, causing a fire and ruining apartments between the fourth and ninth floors.
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… pic.twitter.com/goMVBbCN1B
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 31, 2023
As of 10:35, two Ukrainians were reportedly killed in the strike. 31 are injured, including four children They have torn and cut wounds, fractures, and mine-blast injuries; two are in serious condition, according to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Head Lysak.
The other missile struck a four-story university building nearby, destroying the top two floors.
Russian missiles strike apartment building, university in Kryvyi Rih
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 31, 2023
They missiles were likely ballistic, acc. to AirForce spox Yuriy Ihnat. The 4-9 floors of the apartment building were destroyed, and 2-4 floors of a university nearby. Search for victims is ongoing
📷 🇺🇦 MIA pic.twitter.com/TOBx1rlmvO
Russia also struck hit the south-Ukrainian city of Kherson with unguided Grad rockets, killing a municipal worker, Kherson Oblast head Oleksandr Prokudin wrote.
The attack took place around 8:20. Four more municipal workers were injured, and were hospitalized, according to city official Roman Mrochko.
One man killed, four injured after Russia's attack with Grad rockets on central Kherson
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 31, 2023
The attack took place ~8:20, city municipal workers are the victims. 4 have been hospitalized, authorities said.
The Grad MLRS launches unguided rockets.
📷 Kherson Oblast Head Prokudin pic.twitter.com/F5Pimtb7AX
Earlier, at around midnight, Russia attacked the east-Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with S-300 missiles, which fly via a ballistic trajectory and which Ukraine cannot shoot down with its conventional air defense means. The missiles were launched from the neighboring Belgorod Oblast. One of them hit a warehouse, causing a fire and injuring its security guard. One more missile hit a private house.
Russian night attack on Kharkiv with S-300 missiles cause fire in warehouse, injure one
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 31, 2023
The S-300 missile attack was launched from Russia's Belgorod Oblast at midnight. One more missiel hit a private house
📷 @SESU_UA pic.twitter.com/r6kwiRLR4F
Ukraine’s air defense capabilities were boosted greatly with the delivery of Patriot air defense systems, which allow it to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. However, currently, only two systems are in place, ten fewer than is needed to cover all of Ukraine’s territory, according to Zelenskyy staffer Mykhailo Podoliak.
As well, it is unlikely that the sophisticated yet costly Patriot missiles will enable Ukraine to fully ward off the Russian S-200 attacks. Russia has a vast arsenal of these air defense missiles that were redesigned to strike land targets, and uses them to constantly hit the frontline cities.
Ukraine needs 12 Patriot systems to protect all territory – Zelenskyy staffer
